Latest / The Camp Owners Podcast / Building a Vision from the Ground Up - With Lauren Beckwith and Stacey Levy - The Camp Owners Podcast #76

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Building a Vision from the Ground Up - With Lauren Beckwith and Stacey Levy - The Camp Owners Podcast #76 · The Camp Owners Podcast

• 0:39
  SPEAKER_03: On this last episode of the Camp Owners Podcast, season six, episode 76, we sat down with co-owners and directors of the newly launched camp Eastwood, Lauren Beckwith and Stacey Levy.
• 0:51
  SPEAKER_03: Together, these two phenomenal camp leaders bring 40 years of combined experience in education, coaching, and the camp industry, each coming from some experience with Camp Manitou and Camp Somerset.
• 1:04
  SPEAKER_03: They are incredible.
• 1:06
  SPEAKER_03: We loved this conversation, just learning like, how did this start?
• 1:10
  SPEAKER_03: What did you do to make this happen?
• 1:11
  SPEAKER_03: What are you thinking about?
• 1:13
  SPEAKER_03: How are you making this your own?
• 1:15
  SPEAKER_03: This is part one, and then part two will be after camp season hearing about how it went.
• 1:20
  SPEAKER_03: So we hope you enjoyed this as much as we did.
• 1:22
  SPEAKER_03: We loved talking with them.
• 1:23
  SPEAKER_03: We're super excited for their camp season and also can't wait for the next season of the Camp Owners Podcast to hear how it went.
• 1:29
  SPEAKER_03: So take a listen, enjoy, and good luck this summer.
• 1:32
  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.
• 1:41
  SPEAKER_00: You can find our show notes at go camp.pro slash ownerspod.
• 1:45
  SPEAKER_03: Activity schedules are the backbone of every camper's experience.
• 1:49
  SPEAKER_03: If there's a staffing change, it's really hard to find a person that knows your camp and the nuance your schedule takes.
• 1:56
  SPEAKER_03: Come check out camptivities to learn more about our scheduling tools designed for camps by camp people.
• 2:03
  SPEAKER_03: Find out more at camptivities.com.
• 2:06
  SPEAKER_03: 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.
• 2:13
  SPEAKER_03: We sat down with camp industry experts, leaders, and fellow camp owners to discuss the big issues in the private camp world.
• 2:19
  SPEAKER_03: Hello, everybody.
• 2:20
  SPEAKER_03: My name is Kelly Shuna.
• 2:21
  SPEAKER_03: I'm the co-owner and executive director of Hidden Pines Ranch, located in Stillwater, Minnesota.
• 2:27
  SPEAKER_05: Hi, everybody.
• 2:27
  SPEAKER_05: I'm Howie Grossinger and I am 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 beautiful overnight camp, co-ed overnight camp in the northern Ontario area.
• 2:44
  SPEAKER_05: So we're really happy to be here.
• 2:46
  SPEAKER_05: If you are looking to find and subscribe to the Camp Owners Podcast, you can either find us online at gocamp.pro slash ownerspod or by searching for us in your favorite podcast app.
• 2:57
  SPEAKER_05: Finally, if you're listening to this and think it would be useful to other camp owners or aspiring camp owners in your circle, please feel free to send them a note to listen.
• 3:08
  SPEAKER_05: And of course, we couldn't do this without our amazing sponsors, Camptivities.
• 3:14
  SPEAKER_05: My hope by now, our entire listenership, the camp industry is familiar with Camptivities and the great team over there.
• 3:21
  SPEAKER_05: If you haven't checked them out, please do.
• 3:23
  SPEAKER_05: And we're so thankful that Ryan Rosen and his team sponsor our show.
• 3:28
  SPEAKER_05: Hello, Kelly.
• 3:29
  SPEAKER_03: Hi, friend.
• 3:30
  SPEAKER_03: How are you?
• 3:31
  SPEAKER_05: I'm good.
• 3:32
  SPEAKER_05: Kelly, it's the end of season six.
• 3:36
  SPEAKER_03: Wow.
• 3:37
  SPEAKER_03: No, that's crazy how I can't believe it.
• 3:39
  SPEAKER_03: Season six.
• 3:40
  SPEAKER_03: And this is what episode like 76?
• 3:44
  SPEAKER_03: Look at us.
• 3:44
  SPEAKER_03: We're like look getting close to the hundred.
• 3:47
  SPEAKER_05: I know.
• 3:48
  SPEAKER_05: We're like we're like podcast people, actually.
• 3:51
  SPEAKER_03: Yes, in our own minds.
• 3:53
  SPEAKER_05: The little thing that grew thanks to thanks to Travis and the team bringing us together like that.
• 3:58
  SPEAKER_05: And we are here recording our last episode of season six in the spring, before or just as all the craziness is really happening.
• 4:09
  SPEAKER_05: So we're happy to do this and we're happy to introduce our guests in a second who are taking time out of their busy planning to join us.
• 4:17
  SPEAKER_05: But Kelly, looking forward to the season.
• 4:20
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, I am.
• 4:21
  SPEAKER_03: Things are getting a little spicy, heated up.
• 4:23
  SPEAKER_03: You know how it goes like, oh, okay.
• 4:25
  SPEAKER_03: Summer's almost here.
• 4:26
  SPEAKER_05: Summer is I'm excited.
• 4:28
  SPEAKER_03: It's gonna be great, but I'm definitely starting to feel the heat.
• 4:30
  SPEAKER_03: What about you?
• 4:31
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah, same.
• 4:32
  SPEAKER_05: I think up here in our neck of the woods, the sites are thawing out and the ice is off the lake, and we're all getting ready to, you know, discover what Mother Nature had in store for us over the winter and clean up our sites.
• 4:45
  SPEAKER_05: I'm sure everyone's doing that, but it's an exciting time.
• 4:48
  SPEAKER_05: It's the, you know, every year, it's the same cycle of what is yet to come.
• 4:52
  SPEAKER_05: And it, I think it re-energizes all of us who do this full time.
• 4:57
  SPEAKER_05: And yeah, you can just see all the energy starting and all the young people who are excited to help us do this.
• 5:04
  SPEAKER_05: Our staff are checking in a lot.
• 5:05
  SPEAKER_05: So end of season six, last episode before we take a break, and then we will be back.
• 5:12
  SPEAKER_05: If people were wondering, I don't know if they I don't know if people had bet in the prediction markets, which are very popular these days, if the camp owners podcast is coming back, but I think we're slated, we're slated to come back, Kelly.
• 5:24
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, I I think our friendship's gonna be sponsored for at least one more year.
• 5:28
  SPEAKER_05: I think that's at least one more year.
• 5:31
  SPEAKER_05: Well, we're we're super excited to have these amazing people on our show.
• 5:36
  SPEAKER_05: And it's my pleasure in this episode for us to sit down with the co-owners and directors of the newly launched Camp Eastwood, Lauren Beckwith and Stacy Levy, with over 40 years of combined experience in education, coaching in the camp industry, both hailing from Camp Manitou and Camp Somerset families of camps.
• 5:57
  SPEAKER_05: Lauren and Stacy share their journey of creating a brand new camp experience with us today.
• 6:03
  SPEAKER_05: We dive into their intentional philosophy, the importance of safety and well-being, and what it's like to build a camp culture from scratch.
• 6:13
  SPEAKER_05: I am so excited for this conversation.
• 6:16
  SPEAKER_05: Lauren and Stacy, welcome to the Camp Owners Podcast.
• 6:20
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you.
• 6:20
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you, Ellie.
• 6:22
  SPEAKER_01: So excited to be here.
• 6:23
  SPEAKER_01: Thanks for having us.
• 6:25
  SPEAKER_01: Episode season six.
• 6:27
  SPEAKER_01: I feel honored that we get to end it with you.
• 6:29
  SPEAKER_05: So yeah.
• 6:30
  SPEAKER_05: And on a personal note, Stacy and I and her camp family from Manitou and Somerset got connected a few years back, and we really hit it off and had a wonderful time uh overseas at a camp conference, and we've stayed connected.
• 6:45
  SPEAKER_05: And I was so excited to meet Lauren and hear about this new venture that you're in.
• 6:50
  SPEAKER_05: And we we really look forward to unpacking it all.
• 6:54
  SPEAKER_05: And as with every episode, we just want to hear, and I think our listeners always want to hear the origin story.
• 7:00
  SPEAKER_05: Like, how did your friendship start?
• 7:02
  SPEAKER_05: How did your working relationship start?
• 7:04
  SPEAKER_05: How did you get into this crazy world of actually starting a camp like this?
• 7:09
  SPEAKER_05: And I know our listeners are gonna be really eager to hear the the all the details.
• 7:14
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, we're super excited.
• 7:15
  SPEAKER_02: When we met at at Tri-State and you were, you know, Stacy has talked about you, Howie, for a while.
• 7:20
  SPEAKER_02: And when you said, Well, we should have you on, I was like, Yes, absolutely.
• 7:25
  SPEAKER_02: And so we're super, we're super happy to be here.
• 7:27
  SPEAKER_02: We have a good origin story, I think, a shared, a good shared origin story.
• 7:32
  SPEAKER_02: So yeah, please.
• 7:35
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah, we'd love to hear it.
• 7:36
  SPEAKER_05: Yes.
• 7:37
  SPEAKER_02: So interestingly enough, Stacy and I both came to Camp Manitou.
• 7:41
  SPEAKER_02: We're aging ourselves, but it was like 20 years ago now.
• 7:44
  SPEAKER_02: So, and we both got to camp because our boyfriends at the time, who are now our husbands, were both working at Manitou.
• 7:53
  SPEAKER_02: And so, interestingly enough, I'll fast forward.
• 7:55
  SPEAKER_02: So, we quickly became friends and we actually both found out we had a lot in common.
• 8:00
  SPEAKER_02: She we both grew up in New England and we both played sports in college, and then we both got married at Manitou, two weeks apart from each other.
• 8:08
  SPEAKER_02: And then we both raised our kids at Manitou.
• 8:12
  SPEAKER_02: So, you know, now she gets to spend the summers with my daughters, which has been amazing.
• 8:16
  SPEAKER_02: And here we are, there's lots more to it, but that's the gist of how we became fast friends.
• 8:22
  unknown: Yeah.
• 8:23
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 8:23
  SPEAKER_01: And as both being elementary school teachers, we had the summer off to continue, you know, coming back summer after summer.
• 8:29
  SPEAKER_01: And like Lauren said, I grew up on Cape Cod.
• 8:32
  SPEAKER_01: I did smaller session camps, day camps, but my mom is a teacher, so we just hung out on the Cape.
• 8:37
  SPEAKER_01: But, you know, my now husband was uh went to Manitou as a very young camper, you know, and worked there and has been a part of the community for a very, very long time.
• 8:48
  SPEAKER_01: So once he brought me into the world, I was hooked.
• 8:50
  SPEAKER_01: And then when Somerset had the opportunity to open nine years ago, I helped Kate and Josh open Somerset.
• 8:56
  SPEAKER_01: So I'm even more in the camp world than he is now, ironically.
• 8:59
  SPEAKER_01: So similar to Lauren.
• 9:01
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 9:02
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, it's funny.
• 9:03
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I did not go to camp growing up.
• 9:05
  SPEAKER_02: Actually, I I try, I mean, I played sports growing up.
• 9:08
  SPEAKER_02: And so really in the summer, I was I was doing a lot of travel sports, but camp, I was like, no, I think I tried a day camp here and there or maybe a rec camp, but I wanted nothing to do with any of it at all.
• 9:20
  SPEAKER_02: I was definitely more of a homebody.
• 9:22
  SPEAKER_02: And so it was quite interesting.
• 9:24
  SPEAKER_02: I think having gone to college helped, you know, me be able to sort of like step away.
• 9:29
  SPEAKER_02: I think I could see now as a parent the value in how camp can actually help with college, you know, but I had the opposite experience.
• 9:34
  SPEAKER_02: College helped me with camp.
• 9:36
  SPEAKER_02: And, you know, and then once I like learned what this was, I I was definitely like, oh my God, this is amazing.
• 9:41
  SPEAKER_02: I'm hooked.
• 9:42
  SPEAKER_02: And so, like Stacey said, being a teacher, we could just keep come, like we get to keep, you know, coming back every summer.
• 9:47
  SPEAKER_02: So it was amazing.
• 9:48
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
• 9:49
  SPEAKER_05: And I can identify with your story too.
• 9:51
  SPEAKER_05: You know, I I I played travel sports growing up.
• 9:53
  SPEAKER_05: I never went to overnight camp.
• 9:54
  SPEAKER_05: And I just I was a daycamp person, limited day camp experiences each summer based on sort of sports schedules.
• 10:01
  SPEAKER_05: And exactly totally, I totally get that.
• 10:03
  SPEAKER_05: Never wait.
• 10:04
  SPEAKER_05: I didn't even go away for college.
• 10:05
  SPEAKER_05: I I stayed local and so interesting about you know being in this world and and just if the pathway takes you in so many different directions, you know.
• 10:15
  SPEAKER_05: Kelly, Kelly's story, you know, she owns she owns the uh a camp that her husband went to, so it's crazy they bought that camp.
• 10:22
  SPEAKER_03: Wow.
• 10:23
  SPEAKER_03: Listen, the men just led us there, and then we touched the reins and then we took out.
• 10:29
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, it's drastic story.
• 10:31
  SPEAKER_05: And and in my case, I just married really well.
• 10:33
  SPEAKER_05: And my wife has been very generous to give me a lot of right.
• 10:37
  SPEAKER_03: Yes, you shout out to Sarah.
• 10:38
  SPEAKER_03: Yes, you then.
• 10:38
  SPEAKER_03: Welcome to Sarah.
• 10:40
  SPEAKER_03: Love it.
• 10:41
  SPEAKER_03: Uh that's super cool.
• 10:42
  SPEAKER_03: I love to hear how you came to be.
• 10:44
  SPEAKER_03: So now then let's get into how did Camp Eastwood start?
• 10:49
  SPEAKER_03: Tell us about its inception, how you just make because I think that's one of the biggest things I think, Howie, that people want to know.
• 10:55
  SPEAKER_03: And like when you talk about Tri-State, like those people have this vision of owning a camp, starting a camp, like these are the things.
• 11:02
  SPEAKER_03: Like, how did you make this happen?
• 11:04
  SPEAKER_03: How did this start?
• 11:05
  SPEAKER_03: Like all the things.
• 11:06
  SPEAKER_03: So tell us all about it.
• 11:08
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, yeah.
• 11:09
  SPEAKER_01: I think it was a you know, a combination of, you know, the perfect storm a little bit where you know, when we opened Somerset and it was new to the community as a girls' camp next to Manitou, and it we gave a two-week option as, you know, something new because we had new families and we needed to offer something new.
• 11:27
  SPEAKER_01: And as we've slowly not needed that at Somerset, there has still been a need for it at Somerset at Manitou, kind of industry-wide, where people are asking more and more for a shorter session option, whether they are camp isn't a part of their lives when they're younger, kind of like we were all saying at some point, or it is, but they're just they need a little bit of stamina, these younger kids to work up to stay.
• 11:52
  SPEAKER_01: And so the need for the one and two week sessions has been something that we just saw the need for, and that there wasn't a lot of options that gave that.
• 12:00
  SPEAKER_01: And it kind of like, you know, closed that gap in early child development to build confidence, build skills in an environment that was specifically for them at ages six through 10.
• 12:11
  SPEAKER_01: Like we're we're just doing kindergarten through fourth grade, six through 10 years old, where some camps have to like, you know, make their program around, you know, seven to 16 or whatever their range is.
• 12:22
  SPEAKER_01: We are really, really focused and able to, you know, help them, whether they're gonna move towards a longer session camp or whether they just want the stamina to be able to do a week or two at a time.
• 12:36
  SPEAKER_01: We want to create that really, really strong foundation for them.
• 12:39
  SPEAKER_01: And so that stepping stone, we just really felt.
• 12:43
  SPEAKER_01: And when my son went to Manitou at a really young age, he would fall asleep at dinner sometimes.
• 12:49
  SPEAKER_01: And he was probably a little too young to stay seven weeks at Manitoba.
• 12:53
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and so, you know, even personally as a parent, I saw that just like, oh, if there was a little something to warm him up before he had to have that.
• 13:01
  SPEAKER_01: So yeah.
• 13:02
  SPEAKER_02: I think too.
• 13:03
  SPEAKER_02: So I'm cut I'm coming.
• 13:04
  SPEAKER_02: I I haven't worked at Somerset at all, but uh, like I said, my girls have been able to go, which has been amazing.
• 13:09
  SPEAKER_02: But when I left teach, I left teaching two years ago and I joined camp full time at that point.
• 13:16
  SPEAKER_02: I had been working for camp year-round, but part-time doing program, and then I came on as an associate director.
• 13:23
  SPEAKER_02: And, you know, one of the things that that we've seen a lot, we don't offer a short session at Manitou.
• 13:27
  SPEAKER_02: And and, you know, as we have gone on post-COVID, you know, one of the things we've seen is that there that there are a lot of people asking for it.
• 13:36
  SPEAKER_02: And so, and the kids are getting younger, you know, and so we have seen this, like Stacy said, the gap between the age of when kids are starting and and where they're at developmentally with their stamina and their, you know, their skills and all the things, executive functioning skills, community living skill, all, you know, and so we, you know, between Somerset, you know, the brains at Somerset and Manitou came up with this this idea.
• 14:00
  SPEAKER_02: So we are fortunate enough where we have a property that we are able to use so we're not building from scratch.
• 14:08
  SPEAKER_02: Somerset had that, you know, on top of building a camp culture and figuring out everything.
• 14:14
  SPEAKER_02: They also built a property.
• 14:16
  SPEAKER_02: And so we've been able to really, I think one of the things that Cece and I have been, we talk about it all the time.
• 14:20
  SPEAKER_02: We're so fortunate that, you know, because we've come from these two, these two really successful camps with successful owners, and we've been able to learn from both of them, but then also still have the support from them right now.
• 14:34
  SPEAKER_02: And and you know, we've seen Somerset and you know what that was like.
• 14:37
  SPEAKER_02: Cece lived that.
• 14:38
  SPEAKER_02: And so she's been able to take a lot from that experience and and you know, we're we're excited.
• 14:44
  SPEAKER_02: It's crazy.
• 14:44
  SPEAKER_02: We've got the countdown.
• 14:45
  SPEAKER_03: We're you know, we're we're getting so close.
• 14:48
  SPEAKER_03: That was that was one of the main questions I had because when I was on your website, which is very, very cute, very good.
• 14:55
  SPEAKER_03: I love the little acorn icon, but uh and the map.
• 14:59
  SPEAKER_03: I want to talk later about who made that map because I really, I really like it a lot.
• 15:04
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 15:04
  SPEAKER_03: So everyone go check out their website.
• 15:06
  SPEAKER_03: But when I look at the visual of the property, which I love, page like right on the home page, you can see it all.
• 15:11
  SPEAKER_03: And I'm not a new Englander, so tell me, tell me a little bit more.
• 15:15
  SPEAKER_03: So Somerset, because this these are the questions again, like people who are like, I have this dream.
• 15:19
  SPEAKER_03: How did you make this happen?
• 15:20
  SPEAKER_03: So this was was this camp?
• 15:22
  SPEAKER_03: Because I see like the pool and the cabins.
• 15:24
  SPEAKER_03: Was that already a part of Somerset?
• 15:26
  SPEAKER_03: And then they like branched it off to be your camp now, or this was already existing on that property, and were they using it or not using it?
• 15:36
  SPEAKER_03: How did that all work?
• 15:37
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, yeah, so back in the head face, yes, back in this good.
• 15:45
  SPEAKER_05: This is this is great.
• 15:46
  SPEAKER_05: We we anticipated this as there's we totally they are of a they are of one mind, and but it's all good.
• 15:54
  SPEAKER_05: Go for it, whoever wants to go.
• 15:56
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, paper rock, scissors, paper rock, scissors.
• 15:57
  SPEAKER_02: Okay, I'll go, I'll go, I'll go.
• 15:59
  SPEAKER_02: Okay.
• 15:59
  SPEAKER_02: Back in 2007 or 2008, Manitou took a part of their property and opened up a theater camp.
• 16:06
  SPEAKER_02: And so a theater camp has been running there for the last, you know, what is it, 18 something years now.
• 16:13
  SPEAKER_02: And so they're moving, they're moving to a different site, and we are taking over the property that is already existing there.
• 16:20
  SPEAKER_02: So the property has been functioning as a theater camp, but everything, the infrastructure is is ready to go.
• 16:27
  SPEAKER_02: And you know, and we're now just tailoring it to what our needs are.
• 16:31
  SPEAKER_04: So awesome.
• 16:32
  SPEAKER_03: Because that can sometimes be a challenge if it hasn't been used for camp.
• 16:37
  SPEAKER_03: Like what are capital improvements to get it up and going?
• 16:40
  SPEAKER_03: So that's yeah, really.
• 16:41
  SPEAKER_02: We have a few, but not, yeah, nothing.
• 16:43
  SPEAKER_02: It's all it's it's it's good.
• 16:45
  SPEAKER_01: It's it's and if you look at how the property lays out in the picture, Kelly, too, which is one of the things that we really love about it.
• 16:51
  SPEAKER_01: It's a very small, safe, easy to see.
• 16:55
  SPEAKER_01: Like the sight lines are really good.
• 16:56
  SPEAKER_01: There's no getting lost when you're going from one area to one other because you can really see it.
• 17:02
  SPEAKER_01: So for younger kids is like so ideal.
• 17:04
  SPEAKER_05: And what a great marketing conversation to have with parents who are worried about this age group, particularly the younger ones, going off and knowing that, oh my gosh, how big is your space?
• 17:16
  SPEAKER_05: Will my kid be able to navigate it?
• 17:19
  SPEAKER_05: Because our kids are not roaming in their neighborhoods the way that we were we grew up to do.
• 17:24
  SPEAKER_05: And so to be able to give them that reassurance that the site design is in such a way that can give them the peace of mind, which is our business, is giving parents peace of mind, regardless of our program, obviously a good feature.
• 17:39
  SPEAKER_05: I'd like to go back maybe just to talk a little about chronological evolution of the concept because Manitou, well established, Somerset comes along.
• 17:49
  SPEAKER_05: I love your story about you guys, you know, coming together, looking at each other.
• 17:54
  SPEAKER_05: You know, I know from my own personal experience, you know, my partner at our overnight camp, we worked together at the day camp.
• 18:00
  SPEAKER_05: And at some point, Sari, Saul, and I just looked at it and said, Hey, wouldn't it be cool if we just did this together?
• 18:05
  SPEAKER_05: Like, like it's just like I know the feeling of when you look at friends and colleagues and people you're compatible with to say, let's do this.
• 18:12
  SPEAKER_05: And then you have an entity or entities like Somerset and Manitou that become this part of this wonderful ecosystem to deliver on what you believe to be a real need.
• 18:24
  SPEAKER_05: So can you just take me back?
• 18:26
  SPEAKER_05: Like you're launching.
• 18:28
  SPEAKER_05: When did the first conversation happen?
• 18:30
  SPEAKER_05: Was it pre-COVID?
• 18:31
  SPEAKER_05: Was it post-COVID?
• 18:33
  SPEAKER_05: What like can you just dig into that a little bit?
• 18:35
  SPEAKER_05: Because I think people want to know, like, you know, depending on your situation, like from kind of concept to now delivery, is it has it been a three-year process or less?
• 18:46
  SPEAKER_05: Maybe you can dig into that.
• 18:47
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it it's been about like a year and a half for the concept.
• 18:50
  SPEAKER_01: And then it was like, do we, do we, are we doing 2027?
• 18:54
  SPEAKER_01: Are we doing 2026?
• 18:56
  SPEAKER_01: What what does the timeline look like?
• 18:58
  SPEAKER_01: What is you know, what does it look like?
• 19:01
  SPEAKER_01: The concept was there for for a bit, but it took a while to to get it to be.
• 19:05
  SPEAKER_01: And it's funny that you said that how we like I think that, you know, the the fact that like, you know, Manitouan Somerset leadership had such like great faith in us to be able to do this coming from it was also like a confidence for us.
• 19:18
  SPEAKER_01: And I think that I was like, Lauren, you're gonna be great.
• 19:22
  SPEAKER_01: You got this.
• 19:24
  SPEAKER_01: Like, no, C you got this, and I'll support you.
• 19:26
  SPEAKER_01: And then we were like, you know, when you talked about like the leadership partnership, is like we like we're are really compatible.
• 19:34
  SPEAKER_01: Lauren runs the program, logistics, like that's her jam at Manitou.
• 19:38
  SPEAKER_01: And you know, at Somerset, and when I was at Manitou, I'm more of like staff heavy, camper care focused.
• 19:45
  SPEAKER_01: So we really blended really well together to be like, you know, and we've seen the partnership, JD and Dave, Kate and Josh, like partnership of two people working together to do this.
• 19:57
  SPEAKER_01: And so I can't imagine doing it without Lauren or alone.
• 20:00
  SPEAKER_01: Like it just seemed like that partnership was made to be.
• 20:03
  SPEAKER_01: So figuring out that too, like how are our roles at Somerset and Manitou going to also evolve and and and work together to to make this successful.
• 20:14
  SPEAKER_01: And so we're both kind of have our feet in both for the offseason to sort of transition people at both Somerset and Manitou and for the first time ever moving to Eastwood in a couple weeks.
• 20:25
  SPEAKER_03: So and I think that's uh a really important consideration.
• 20:31
  SPEAKER_03: Like I think about you and Howie, Sari, and you have a lot of synergy, but you also have very like different strengths and things that like you shine in.
• 20:41
  SPEAKER_03: And like I think Lauren and Stacey talking about that, you know, you it's so nice to have a partner.
• 20:46
  SPEAKER_03: And I think about that if Peter ever does this with me, right?
• 20:49
  SPEAKER_03: Of like who would do what?
• 20:50
  SPEAKER_03: And but having a partner that you can work really well with and collaborate with, yet have those different things.
• 20:56
  SPEAKER_03: Like, I love the staffing, I love the logistics.
• 20:59
  SPEAKER_03: Like, I do think that's a really important consideration when you're thinking about doing a venture like this versus like we both love the staff stuff, but wait, someone has to do the logistics.
• 21:10
  SPEAKER_03: No, I don't want to do it.
• 21:11
  SPEAKER_03: Paper access or it's right.
• 21:13
  SPEAKER_03: So I mean, everyone has to do things that maybe they like don't love, right?
• 21:17
  SPEAKER_03: But I think that that's cool that you already had that yin-yang yes dynamic going or things that you brought to the table.
• 21:24
  SPEAKER_03: That's pretty cool.
• 21:24
  SPEAKER_03: I had another question, again, thinking about people who are listening to this, like, oh my gosh, they made it happen.
• 21:30
  SPEAKER_03: And we don't have to get into like the details, but I am curious about did you approach with this idea or did someone come to you?
• 21:38
  SPEAKER_03: Because that's a question that people ask a lot of like, was did they want someone else to do take over this property and they had this vision?
• 21:45
  SPEAKER_03: Or were you like, we have this vision and we want to start this?
• 21:49
  SPEAKER_03: Like, how did that work?
• 21:50
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, so that's an interesting question.
• 21:52
  SPEAKER_02: So Stacy and I, I think, you know, part of like we I said this before, but we laugh a lot about like how parallel our lives are.
• 21:59
  SPEAKER_02: And so, you know, Stacy taught for gosh, I don't know, a long time, Stace, right?
• 22:04
  SPEAKER_02: And we both taught elementary school.
• 22:06
  SPEAKER_02: She was more in phys ed and I was more in the main classroom.
• 22:09
  SPEAKER_02: And so, you know, when Somerset opened and and she had the opportunity to to jump over from Manitou and she left teaching then, you know, I think that was really, I think, exciting.
• 22:22
  SPEAKER_02: And it was something that was like a new camp like that was so novel and so new, you know.
• 22:27
  SPEAKER_02: And so as I was moving on with my career and trying to navigate, you know, as I I had been teaching, you know, since I was, I like left college and started teaching, you know, just trying to navigate naturally like what's what's next in life and you know how are things evolving and you know and that was when I I moved on full time with Manitou and so then I think from there at that point as we were both associate directors and sort of a little bit more at that point involved in a lot of the behind the scenes stuff of camp and how camp you know seeing you know it's it is so different.
• 22:59
  SPEAKER_02: I have learned you know seeing camp from you know June, July and August to then actually living you talked about it how we in the beginning like the cycle I knew the cycle of teaching and you know I think at at the base of it is still kids, but it is so different, right?
• 23:12
  SPEAKER_02: When school ends camp starts.
• 23:14
  SPEAKER_02: And so it's there's a lot of there's a lot of parallels there as well.
• 23:18
  SPEAKER_02: But I, you know, the past few years have just been learning the the transition from teaching into into camp world and Stacey had already done that.
• 23:26
  SPEAKER_02: So I was able to kind of actually lean on her a lot as I was in that transition because she had done it, you know, five years before I did.
• 23:33
  SPEAKER_02: And so you know so after that happened and we both you know really function Manito and Summer said are it's so amazing because so much of it functions as like a bigger family.
• 23:42
  SPEAKER_02: And so there's so much overlap in terms of relationships and staff and business and you know and everything.
• 23:48
  SPEAKER_02: And so once we were both working full time the opportunity really came about.
• 23:54
  SPEAKER_02: And so they approached us in terms of you know would this ever be something that you you would both be interested in in doing and so we kind of went from there.
• 24:04
  SPEAKER_01: So I was reading I was thinking I always read like because I run the staff usually at the camps that I I read a lot of leadership books in the off season to like find one that I wanted to read and I hadn't read who Who Moved My Cheese in a really long time but yeah friend of mine at Manitou had suggested it.
• 24:20
  SPEAKER_01: So I I was literally reading it you know like a year and a half two years ago and they were like hey like we have this idea would you ever be interested and I was like oh I'm literally moving reading Who Moved My Cheese.
• 24:30
  SPEAKER_01: I hadn't looked up in a long time and then like what do I want next and I was literally reading that book and I was like this is a sign like that like you know I think it's really good as female leaders too for people to see and it obviously took a long time before we like went public with the idea but even some of the younger even some of the younger like leadership staff at Somerset who were young women who are trying to figure out what their next steps are they were like this is so motivational to know that you can have a career change in your mid 40s and it's nothing that I ever thought would be a part and I thought I thought I was going to be an elementary school teacher forever and it was my dream and I was in love with it for a really long time but Camp has been a new inspiration professionally for me over the last few years.
• 25:17
  SPEAKER_01: And it's been really it was really good for me to be able because I tell them all the time you don't have to at 23 years old do what you're gonna do forever.
• 25:25
  SPEAKER_01: You might some people do but you don't have to and I think that even seeing them switch a little bit to be like oh that's really cool that two of the older people at camp are getting to do something brand new in their lives professionally.
• 25:39
  SPEAKER_03: So yeah I think that we it was kind of brought to us but once it was brought we just we sort of just went with it I love that I'm a big believer in that with like universe stuff I just think and I do I have to read this book I do I have to read it or listen to it.
• 25:56
  SPEAKER_05: I've never read that very short so very short great book it's a very short book yeah really good and yeah there there is totally an inspirational story around that whole that sort of the pathways that you've both taken to get to this place and I think it can serve as an incredible element of the staff culture and what we do as much for staff as we do with kids in terms of helping them understand that this journey can take kinds of all these wonderful twists and turns and and and I think you're you're doing and and as someone who is you know the proud dad of a daughter who's coming in the industry and who's you know seen the pathway that she's carved and has seen looked at her own mom and and her grandma and all this stuff like I think it's it's it's just it's really wonderful.
• 26:49
  SPEAKER_05: And I I just thinking a lot about the the you know the the comfort that you must feel in taking this huge leap into starting a camp knowing that you have the support you do from the other the being in the ecosystem that you are you know whether it be the the benefits of tried and true systems that you probably don't have to create from scratch and you can augment and and just maybe the approaches like maybe you can speak to you know digging into the philosophical approach of how this might be a differentiator from the Manitou Somerset ways.
• 27:32
  SPEAKER_05: And I'm also very curious about and Kelly and I we talk a lot of this with guests about like the strategic plan of you know will Manitou and Somerset have space for the over 10 year olds and you know like you know given registration and I I'm coming from a world of a date camp that's a feeder to an overnight camp and I'm sure all of those things have been part of the conversations and and maybe we can just jump into some of the business stuff of this maybe a little bit and and and the conversations you've had in terms of what is the strategic plan for creating this, which there's a need for as Stacey you're recognizing in your work with Lauren that there might be that short stay stuff but how can it kind of build towards making the entire world of these three camps kind of prosper.
• 28:23
  SPEAKER_05: Maybe you guys could speak to a little bit about those things.
• 28:25
  SPEAKER_01: I'm gonna have Lauren talk a little bit more about the philosophy and the values and sort of like our mission for our strategic plan.
• 28:31
  SPEAKER_01: But I just want to say that like yeah like one of the amazing things that we have about this community is an ability to have younger siblings and younger cousins of the other, you know, if you're a third child and you're like I'm ready for camp but I'm only in first grade like we're your answer, right?
• 28:47
  SPEAKER_01: And so we do have that ability but we also realize how much the camp world has opened up and that we can prepare people for whatever their long-term camp experience is if they want it.
• 28:58
  SPEAKER_01: And whether that's you know co-ed camp because we're co-ed and Manitou and Somerset are single sex or whether your older brother already goes to a camp on Long Island and that's but it's seven weeks and that's where you want to go but you need a little bit of a warm-up or your mom does or whatever it is.
• 29:13
  SPEAKER_01: So we've also been able to like have such great connections and partnerships with camps throughout New England and the US through some of these agencies to like to help with whatever the next step is for these families and really be able to to cater for camp owners and directors like here's a camper profile that came from an actual camp because we know that some parents are better filling out camper profiles than others.
• 29:40
  SPEAKER_01: We're gonna be able to tell you from our perspective like how this camper can be successful and also to the parents how their camper can be successful or they can be successful as a family.
• 29:51
  SPEAKER_01: So and I do have to say that like for Laura and I who taught for both over 20 years, it does also feel like the first year of school again like we're you know that first year of teaching or that first year of anything you really have to like you really have to dig down and like start from scratch again as much as we have like a you know structure based on the other camps.
• 30:12
  SPEAKER_01: And if I didn't have the Somerset experience I would be like oh my God what are we doing?
• 30:16
  SPEAKER_01: This is insane but at least I can remember the beginning but it is like the first year of teaching again I'm like oh I'm a little too old for this but we were almost there.
• 30:26
  SPEAKER_01: We're almost there.
• 30:27
  SPEAKER_03: Listen I think first year philosophy is like if it doesn't burn like burn down to the ground it was a success.
• 30:34
  SPEAKER_03: Like that was my thing of just like just Kelly just don't burn it down.
• 30:37
  SPEAKER_03: If it's still in one piece at the end of the summer you did great.
• 30:41
  SPEAKER_03: You did it you succeeded.
• 30:43
  SPEAKER_03: So it's gonna be it's gonna be great.
• 30:45
  SPEAKER_02: But yes that's a it is a heavy lift and it's scary and exciting and all the things I think every day Cece and I have every emotion possible.
• 30:54
  SPEAKER_02: Just depends what time of day it is and yeah for sure.
• 30:57
  SPEAKER_02: I can go back to a little bit though of some of the business side of it.
• 31:00
  SPEAKER_02: I think you know one of the things that we find really fascinating is and Cece and I feel really strongly about this is you we feel like we know kids really well as professionals, like as elementary school teachers, you know, as moms, as people who have been in the camp industry for a really long time.
• 31:18
  SPEAKER_02: And I think for for both of us it's been really interesting and I think kind of invigorating too just to learn more of the business side of camp because that's the part that we really haven't had a lot of experience with.
• 31:32
  SPEAKER_02: And so leaning on you know Josh and Kate and JD and Dave for a lot of that has been really helpful because I think that's the part that we feel probably like we're you know we're learning the most.
• 31:45
  SPEAKER_02: And so I think having them you know as sort of like a support for us has been, I mean it's been humongous.
• 31:53
  SPEAKER_02: And I think what's been really fun is being able to because we know both camps and you know we have a lot of siblings at both camps.
• 32:00
  SPEAKER_02: And so we have a lot of things a lot of systems that function sort of the same but they're so different.
• 32:06
  SPEAKER_02: The camps are so different at the same time you know one's all boys one's all girls JD how JD and Dave run Manitou is so different from how Kate and Josh run Somerset.
• 32:16
  SPEAKER_02: And so we have been able to live and experience both of them and be able to sort of say like okay what are the things that we want to take what are the best parts of Manitou and Somerset that we want to take what are the best parts of us as leaders as camp professionals as moms as teachers and sort of be able to just take it all and and and make something new.
• 32:36
  SPEAKER_02: And that I think has been so fun.
• 32:38
  SPEAKER_02: I've really enjoyed that so far and we can't like I can't wait to just be at camp and and be, you know, living it every day.
• 32:44
  SPEAKER_02: I'm so excited.
• 32:45
  SPEAKER_03: As a camp owner you know your operational staff are the heartbeat of your program.
• 32:49
  SPEAKER_03: They're the ones who would bleed for camp staying up way too late night after night to make sure every camper gets a great schedule.
• 32:56
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• 32:58
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• 33:09
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• 33:11
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• 33:21
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• 33:26
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• 33:29
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• 33:32
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• 33:40
  SPEAKER_05: Well if you think about if you think about so many of our colleagues who take over an existing program right and I can only speak from experience where like our biggest decision is you know like some of the decisions we thought oh everyone will deal with like we have hamburgers on Tuesday but the new owners have them on Wednesday like what they're the camp is going downhill right now or you know or those types of things like you get to start traditions and systems and things that there no one's had any experience about and I'm and I think that is incredibly beneficial and I'm sure lots of people listening who've had the process of transition and like you know people who buy camps depending on the situation of the camp they kind of have to just wrap their head like okay we can put our own step on it maybe in year three or four because the stuff it's gonna take some time.
• 34:38
  SPEAKER_05: People need to get used to us and and people grieve camp camp families and campers and staff grieve over transition and they have to get through that and what a unique wonderful opportunity given you know all the things you're involved in to do that.
• 34:53
  SPEAKER_05: So I'm curious about even some of the connectivity to Somerset and Manitou about what you're going to do for camp wide events and how you're going to use the what I would call like the naming conventions of of things you know what do you what are you calling your your big camp wide your reactions tell me like oh we talk about this a lot so maybe you can just talk take us through some of those conversations or the evolution of what you're borrowing what you're creating from scratch maybe you're doing it all from scratch.
• 35:26
  SPEAKER_02: I don't know but it's a thing that people should be you know maybe listen to to yours your the evolution of your conversations yeah do you care if I jump in on this I could talk for a long time on this Holly so cut me off when you need me to because I will keep going.
• 35:40
  SPEAKER_02: You know I think one of the things that has been for me so my one of my lenses I've been running the program at Manitou for a few years now and so I have the lens of of what a Manitou boys camp you know long session program is like.
• 35:54
  SPEAKER_02: But again, you know we have kids that are seven and we have kids that are 16.
• 35:58
  SPEAKER_02: And so being able to really think about what makes the most sense developmentally for young kids because they're really not just you know they're not just like a smaller version I mean they are a smaller version but they're not really just a smaller version you know of the older because they're they're so different in in in their developmental age, what is the you know what is gonna work for them.
• 36:22
  SPEAKER_02: And so we've had I mean endless and endless and endless and endless and endless conversations about what that looks like.
• 36:30
  SPEAKER_02: And you know what we really the first layer of when we started building was sort of and and I think part of this came from our teaching background was just sort of like okay what do we want our campers to walk away from Camp Eastwood knowing and being able to do so that when they are either going to you know the camp that their older siblings are at in New York or they're going next door to mandatory Somerset because it doesn't matter right we know like they're we're gonna have kids from all over whether they're going to no matter where they're going next, whatever their next step is and even if we get them back for another year, you know, that might happen or two.
• 37:08
  SPEAKER_02: But maybe it's just one and done.
• 37:10
  SPEAKER_02: And so having them come out of Eastwood, what do we want them to be able to you know walk away with and so we really had to then go from there and talk about okay well what what does that look like skill wise you know in a short session you know so then we started going down the the list of like all the things that we're like okay wait a second we don't have them for seven weeks to be able to work on this for seven weeks though really it's two weeks or one week.
• 37:36
  SPEAKER_02: And so we did a lot of work with thinking about kids development, you know, what are the executive functioning skills that they're gonna need to work on what are the community living skills that they're gonna need to work on you know what are the self-care you know what is the self-care going to look like for a six year old coming in what is it going to look like for them to learn you know how to have a have conflict how to have you know all the different things.
• 37:58
  SPEAKER_02: And so that was sort of like our first layer and then we started building the program of okay so now what does the program need to look like so that we can get them there.
• 38:09
  SPEAKER_02: And and so that was then when we sort of layered in the well what would a schedule look like for a six year old or a 10 year old well it's gonna start earlier in the day and it's gonna end earlier in the day than what we've been used to.
• 38:22
  SPEAKER_02: You know, we're gonna have a lot of snacks.
• 38:24
  SPEAKER_01: And a lot of snacks and a lot more free play and a lot more like adventure, you know, lauring heavily into our woods and fairy gardens and outdoor kitchen nature play stuff.
• 38:37
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 38:37
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah exactly so so the short of it is that that was sort of like the layers of how we went and then and then it was really just been so fun to just sort of brainstorm you know what we want and then and then it's slowly we've been just refining it and you know and and so I I think our big three things have sort of been like okay the skill building piece like how are we gonna you know what can we do?
• 38:57
  SPEAKER_02: What kind of support do they need to get there?
• 39:00
  SPEAKER_02: You know, what does that look like in a day?
• 39:02
  SPEAKER_02: And so that we sort of have been thinking about okay well proactively what are the things that we know as moms and teachers and care professionals that you know that we can put what sort of supports can we put in place in systems and then they're gonna have tantrums they're gonna be tired they're gonna be hungry what are the things that we need to then have in place so when things go bad because they will and that's how they're learning.
• 39:21
  SPEAKER_02: And then how do we make it fun like we want it to be fun for them you know we want it to be engaging and we want you know all the things and so we've been able to take the best of the traditions so we're gonna have color war you know like both camps do they call it Summer Cup at Somerset and we have color war at Manitou but we're gonna we're gonna you know we're gonna build that in our two week program they're gonna go on one trip day and they're gonna have one bunk night but our one weekers are just going to have a bunk night.
• 39:46
  SPEAKER_02: You know we know that they really need a lot of routine so we didn't we didn't really want to have a schedule for you know for five days it has to be pretty pretty consistent.
• 39:56
  SPEAKER_02: And so we we kind of felt strongly that they needed to just stay on site and not not go on a trip.
• 40:00
  SPEAKER_02: But for the two weeks we were like okay they can they can venture out midway and and learn what it's like to go do that.
• 40:06
  SPEAKER_02: And so one of the things that's also been really fun that was another part of our base layer is that Manitou has what we call core values and Somerset has rings they call them rings but they're they're four rings and four values they're all you know and so we sort of had to decide pretty early on we felt it was important to think about well what will our values be at Eastwood and and how can we incorporate that into our program.
• 40:29
  SPEAKER_02: And so we we had a lot of a long list of all these different things and we we really narrowed it down and I had the idea I thought like okay for little kids like they do not they're not going to be able to understand some of the idea of some you know some of this.
• 40:42
  SPEAKER_02: And so as we were kind of narrowing down the things that we felt like were important, we we decided to to pair a forest animal that would represent that value.
• 40:53
  SPEAKER_02: So I was like oh my God kids get animals they love animals.
• 40:57
  SPEAKER_02: Like they if if we can personify an animal that then can help the kids understand what it looks like to be brave.
• 41:04
  SPEAKER_02: So we have a bear that is you know going to be able to show the kids what is that like when you you know how is a bear brave and what does that look like you know and we have a deer that is going to represent choosing kindness and we have one of the things that we felt like is really important is is play.
• 41:20
  SPEAKER_02: And so one of our values is play all day.
• 41:22
  SPEAKER_02: So we have a river otter so they're all forest animals.
• 41:24
  SPEAKER_02: And so they're the sort of the representation of the of the play all day.
• 41:28
  SPEAKER_02: And then my favorite, I don't know Stacey, which one's your favorite, but we we have our last one is called give a hoot which is sort of just like make an impact but it's an owl and so there the kids will see these these four forest friends you know through all parts of our program and and we've been able to really weave that in in a meaningful way.
• 41:46
  SPEAKER_02: So it's been really fun.
• 41:48
  SPEAKER_01: I've talked a lot so I'll stop because I can keep going but Stace chime in if you want I thought about two things that like even like last week we discovered I discovered that the Manitou boys wear their pajamas to breakfast and Lauren was like I was like can we have pajama breakfast and she's like what are you talking about?
• 42:04
  SPEAKER_02: Don't the kids come in their pajamas like go to breakfast and they're PJs and she was like dressed not the case.
• 42:10
  SPEAKER_01: What is going on over there?
• 42:11
  SPEAKER_01: Like we have like found out that's so great at the other camp.
• 42:16
  SPEAKER_01: And I think it's also interesting and this is just just came to me that when we originally thought about the concept we were really just going to do a bunch of two week sessions.
• 42:25
  SPEAKER_01: And then we all know as camp directors like the calendar when you look for next year which it's always hard you're just like oh what when should we start when should we end and where does July 4th fall in where does school start fall in like there's all these things and just the way that July 4th fell we're like well why don't we try a week right and so we'll do some one week and some two week sessions and it just kind of came out of the calendar more than necessarily what we thought and it and we'll just like we'll see what what people think if they if they want it as much as the two week and it and some of the sessions that are one week has been a lot more popular than we thought.
• 43:02
  SPEAKER_01: So I think also as we were talking Kelly before is like sometimes you have to adjust in the middle of your adjustment or I know we're gonna take things on that seem like a really great intentional thing that we're like no that didn't work.
• 43:14
  SPEAKER_01: We're just gonna have to change that move on but even we haven't even opened and we're already like transitioning a bit.
• 43:20
  SPEAKER_01: So being flexible with with that is is is been really important.
• 43:25
  SPEAKER_05: Do one week and two week sessions coexist or are they just separate?
• 43:28
  SPEAKER_05: Are they in the capital?
• 43:29
  SPEAKER_05: They're separate so kids will come and leave on the same day so like session one is one week session two is two weeks session three is two weeks yeah yeah yeah wow Kelly any thoughts so many good things here I want if I might Kelly I wanted to just chat with both of you a little bit about just building on what Lauren talked about with your school background your mom background the intentionality of delivering that younger kid first time overnight experience and what they need maybe we can just talk a little bit about staff training about you know the eight can you talk a little bit about the target age group of your staff you know a lot of camps have leadership training programs and you're dealing with kids up to 10 and how are you kind of designing the staff experience and the training and what you're looking for to deliver on this philosophy that you're obviously trying to hit the ground running on.
• 44:33
  SPEAKER_05: So maybe you could speak to that and how it's going.
• 44:35
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 44:35
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah can you can you include two sorry I I Wanna know what grades you taught?
• 44:40
  SPEAKER_03: Like what grade of teachers were you?
• 44:43
  SPEAKER_03: Cause I think that's an interesting how that plays into this.
• 44:46
  SPEAKER_03: Like what kind of kids you worked with.
• 44:48
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 44:48
  SPEAKER_01: So I started in Boston.
• 44:50
  SPEAKER_01: I worked at a at a six through twelve school for for 10 years.
• 44:53
  SPEAKER_01: And then when I moved to Denver, actually moved to a K through eight.
• 44:57
  SPEAKER_01: So I've sort of done the gamut of that.
• 44:59
  SPEAKER_01: Lauren was mostly elementary school, right, Lauren?
• 45:03
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 45:03
  SPEAKER_01: And the staff training we've thought a lot about.
• 45:06
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, we've had to shift our brain and we've had like so great collaboration, like show to Jackie.
• 45:11
  SPEAKER_01: We've had lots of great collaboration of people who have our brain has been longer session brain for a really long time.
• 45:18
  SPEAKER_01: And like to switch that, especially for me around the staff training and the staff hiring is what is going to be important to them is a little bit different because their cabin is going to change regardless where at a longer session camp it might change.
• 45:30
  SPEAKER_01: And some of the great advice we've gotten is that like the staff relationships are a lot deeper because they're the constant now more than the kids are, or the kids aren't, because that we're having all these sessions and like building up orientation looks a little bit different because you have to not only teach them all the things about all the sessions, but then you're only preparing for session one.
• 45:53
  SPEAKER_01: And then what's what's it gonna look like in between sessions to prepare for the next session and how that works?
• 45:59
  SPEAKER_01: So it's really been fun to play around with what is important for that in terms of there is still a big difference when we talk about age group discussions between a six and seven-year-old versus an eight and nine-year-old.
• 46:11
  SPEAKER_01: So a lot of more focused time on that.
• 46:14
  SPEAKER_01: And then also, you know, how the kids are gonna come and what they're gonna look like in terms of developmental age and what their needs are gonna be is a little bit different.
• 46:23
  SPEAKER_01: I've hired the staff at Somerset for a really long time and collaborated with Dave at Manitou with it.
• 46:28
  SPEAKER_01: So, you know, we have our leadership team is made up of mostly young teachers or teachers in general, like all, you know, five of us who are gonna be on the leadership team are are teaching or in education at some point in our lives right now or have been.
• 46:42
  SPEAKER_01: But I think the staff makeup is very similar to what what we've done at Somerset and Manitou, you know, the 18 to 25 year old who has education as, you know, the forefront of what they're looking towards or or their experiences, who really wanted when I talked to a lot of them, they wanted also a smaller camp feel.
• 47:02
  SPEAKER_01: Like, you know, I can say to them, you know, if you're thinking about somewhere like Somerset, that's like a community of 500 people.
• 47:10
  SPEAKER_01: We're gonna be a community of less than 100, like that's a different feel.
• 47:14
  SPEAKER_01: So what are you looking for?
• 47:16
  SPEAKER_01: And a lot of them who are interested in this age group were really excited about that, you know, we're flying across the world and we want that small camp feel.
• 47:26
  SPEAKER_01: And so that was a different sort of type of staff member that I've gotten versus like people who want to go to a big time giant community.
• 47:35
  unknown: Yeah.
• 47:35
  SPEAKER_02: Can I jump insta one thing I wanted to say, you know, when we were building out the calendar too, you know, we think a lot about training the staff in terms of like the orientation that happens before camp.
• 47:46
  SPEAKER_02: And we felt pretty strongly that we we knew we needed to align because kids that are coming to Eastwood are not doing that the whole summer.
• 47:54
  SPEAKER_02: It's it also aligns with whatever else they have going on in their summer, whether that's day camp, whether that's family trips.
• 48:00
  SPEAKER_02: And so we knew we wanted to sort of run a camp from like a weekend to a weekend, starting and ending.
• 48:07
  SPEAKER_02: And so the way it fell, we've been able to build in basically a day between each session.
• 48:15
  SPEAKER_02: And so, you know, thinking back to like parents of young kids, you know, when they are requiring more support for things, it can be exhausting emotionally for for caregivers of young kids in ways that are a lot different than it managing, and I'm living it now as you know, being a mom to a teenager and it's so challenging in so many other ways.
• 48:36
  SPEAKER_02: But knowing that staff members I don't know what you're talking about.
• 48:40
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, you can't you can't relate at all.
• 48:43
  SPEAKER_02: Um knowing that staff members were probably gonna come out of a session, even if they only had, you know, somebody, you know, a bunk of kids for a week or two weeks, that probably it's gonna feel like it feels when you're a parent of a little kid, and that it's it's gonna be exhausting in in in ways that maybe they're not gonna get as much sleep as not that any camp counselor gets a lot of sleep, but they might even get less than you know, than kids are that are in older bunks, you know, and things like that.
• 49:09
  SPEAKER_02: And so we are excited that basically our staff are all gonna have a day off between sessions.
• 49:16
  SPEAKER_02: You know, our kids will go home.
• 49:18
  SPEAKER_04: I was gonna ask that.
• 49:19
  SPEAKER_02: We'll have a day.
• 49:20
  SPEAKER_02: So the day on departure day, we're gonna be able to, you know, start to prepare for the next round of kids and and you know, and get everything ready.
• 49:27
  SPEAKER_02: And then they're gonna have a day off together, which hopefully we'll be able to give everybody.
• 49:31
  SPEAKER_02: And Stacey and I are also again, shout out to Jackie.
• 49:34
  SPEAKER_02: That's never happened.
• 49:35
  SPEAKER_02: I know, exactly.
• 49:36
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 49:37
  SPEAKER_02: And then we can really set our sights on the next group of kids coming in.
• 49:40
  SPEAKER_02: But we're hoping that that helps give the staff a chance to be able to sort of reset between sessions and also give us a chance to take a moment on those that change over time to be like, okay, what did we learn from this time, this last session, so that we can then with this next group of kids in a way that you really can't, you can't typically do that with a long session camp.
• 50:00
  SPEAKER_05: So I could I can tell you from my own experience, you know, just navigating through eight weeks of day camp to overnight camp, week in, we week out, because I traveled to my overnight camp on the weekends to support.
• 50:14
  SPEAKER_05: Oh no way.
• 50:15
  SPEAKER_05: I didn't know that.
• 50:16
  SPEAKER_05: Wow, yeah.
• 50:16
  SPEAKER_05: So my my for Sari and myself for almost 25 years is, you know, shedding our day camp sensibilities on the way up to overnight camp because the the the sensibilities of supervision for younger kids versus your older, returning, more established overnight campers and the expectations of because we listen, we know the staff who return feel they've paid their dues with the younger kids.
• 50:44
  SPEAKER_05: They're always requesting the older kids.
• 50:46
  SPEAKER_05: We know that, right?
• 50:47
  SPEAKER_05: Like we know that.
• 50:49
  SPEAKER_05: So the the fact is that the fact that, and I think for anyone listening to this who is, you know, kind of trying to design or see the kind of setting they want to be, these kind of intentional conversations around a one-week experience for first graders with the amount of supervision, the intensity of the supervision by the staff calls for a different kind of respite before the next group comes.
• 51:19
  SPEAKER_05: And and we don't, you know, our those of us in the long stay overnight world, like it just keeps it just flows.
• 51:25
  SPEAKER_05: They get their day off, they recharge, they come back, we know the way it works.
• 51:29
  SPEAKER_05: So I think it's really good that you address that, you know, in this intentional way because you've both seen it all in the long stay experience.
• 51:37
  SPEAKER_05: So I just needed to add that because I think it's a huge thing.
• 51:40
  SPEAKER_05: And then picking the staff who you feel can deliver on that.
• 51:43
  SPEAKER_05: Are you are you are you finding whatever balance in terms of international staff and domestic staff?
• 51:49
  SPEAKER_05: Are you I I you know, like we're all looking at staffing in all kinds of different ways that you're you're looking to bring some international staff because we know the young kids love the international staff.
• 51:59
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, yeah.
• 52:00
  SPEAKER_01: We're definitely bringing international staff.
• 52:02
  SPEAKER_01: And because when you are new, the same thing happened at Somerset and you don't have former campers yet, or you don't have that, you know, 80 years of Manitou to have to pull on.
• 52:12
  SPEAKER_01: You have to rely on international staff until you can build that community.
• 52:16
  SPEAKER_01: So it's a good combination of both right now.
• 52:19
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 52:19
  SPEAKER_01: And and in that in-between time, Howie, to your point, is also like you have to learn a whole new set of kids who are coming in.
• 52:26
  SPEAKER_01: So you have to give time for for that to be able to, you know, do camper profiles on the next session who's coming.
• 52:33
  SPEAKER_01: So yep, yep.
• 52:35
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, no, I I think that's so smart.
• 52:38
  SPEAKER_03: What a gift.
• 52:39
  SPEAKER_03: It's a gift, really, to the two of you.
• 52:40
  SPEAKER_03: It is a gift for sure.
• 52:41
  SPEAKER_03: And your staff, it really is, it really is.
• 52:44
  SPEAKER_03: But I do I think that's so smart because in a day camp world, you there are so many changes we make during the summer and because we can something that I love hearing.
• 52:54
  SPEAKER_03: That's why I wanted to know what grades you taught, because just on the things that you're saying, it also intentionality of your programming.
• 53:00
  SPEAKER_03: Like when you say outdoor, like we have mud kitchens.
• 53:02
  SPEAKER_03: So when you talk about like your outdoor like mud kitchens, you talk about fairy gardens, you know, which a lot of overnight camps don't have that young kids.
• 53:10
  SPEAKER_03: But like for Howie and I, we have those.
• 53:12
  SPEAKER_03: Howie is even younger than me, but entering kindergarten.
• 53:15
  SPEAKER_03: So those are the things.
• 53:16
  SPEAKER_03: It's like, how do you adapt archery?
• 53:18
  SPEAKER_03: Well, you have to have the range be shorter and different bows, and you have to have we have outdoor classroom time in between other things because they just gotta play.
• 53:27
  SPEAKER_03: Yes, they have a snack, they get angry.
• 53:30
  SPEAKER_03: Like I can, I love, I love as a day camp person, hearing the intentionality that you're doing with these young kids.
• 53:37
  SPEAKER_03: Like it's so developmentally appropriate.
• 53:39
  SPEAKER_03: So if I were a parent, I'd be like, yes, yes, yes, because it's not like you're just trying to do overnight camp for little kids.
• 53:46
  SPEAKER_03: You are doing overnight camp in the way that is best for them.
• 53:50
  SPEAKER_03: And I think that's just awesome.
• 53:52
  SPEAKER_04: It sounds chef's kiss.
• 53:54
  SPEAKER_04: Thank you, Kellen.
• 53:55
  SPEAKER_03: Thank you, Kelly.
• 53:59
  SPEAKER_02: Um, I think I'm always excited about the fairy gardens in the outdoor kitchen.
• 54:02
  SPEAKER_02: And I have big visions for adventuring out our adventure woods.
• 54:08
  SPEAKER_05: Well, you're taking the kids in nature.
• 54:10
  SPEAKER_05: You're talking to two people who almost on a daily basis are in costumes at day camp with kids.
• 54:15
  SPEAKER_05: So we the fact that we want pictures of the two.
• 54:21
  SPEAKER_05: Kelly and I share pictures like almost on a daily basis.
• 54:24
  SPEAKER_05: What did you dress up today?
• 54:25
  SPEAKER_03: Oh my god, that's amazing.
• 54:27
  SPEAKER_03: It's super fun.
• 54:27
  SPEAKER_03: Super fun.
• 54:28
  SPEAKER_03: You should come.
• 54:29
  SPEAKER_03: You should come.
• 54:31
  SPEAKER_03: Come and see my outdoor classroom.
• 54:32
  SPEAKER_03: Come on.
• 54:33
  SPEAKER_03: Oh my gosh, I would love to.
• 54:35
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, yeah, okay.
• 54:37
  SPEAKER_05: All of our free play spaces, amazing, amazing, amazing.
• 54:40
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 54:40
  SPEAKER_05: Is there, is there, you know, given obviously you have a uh as we as we close out this wonderful conversation, and and yes, listeners, we are planning a part two in season seven to say how did it go?
• 54:54
  SPEAKER_05: Because we are doing that early in season seven.
• 54:57
  SPEAKER_05: So, but but as we as we continue this great conversation, you know, when you think about your friendship and your working relationship with the Somerset and Manitou Manitou ownership, like is there like a piece of advice or some learning that you've done based on their mentorship or the style that they have that are really informing the way you are moving forward?
• 55:21
  SPEAKER_05: You know, I mean, it's so unique.
• 55:23
  SPEAKER_05: But I I'm just curious, as you know, we all remember certain pieces of advice that mentors and all that stuff.
• 55:30
  SPEAKER_05: Does anything come to mind immediately as you've taken on this new venture?
• 55:34
  SPEAKER_01: I feel like they really are good, you know, a good partner is like key, obviously.
• 55:39
  SPEAKER_01: And but playing off each other's strengths and really like just like we do with our campers and our staff, that we really want to celebrate.
• 55:46
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, that's one of the beauties of camp that I say all the time to make it different than school is just like everything is celebrated.
• 55:51
  SPEAKER_01: And I think it starts at the top.
• 55:52
  SPEAKER_01: Like if we really value each other's strengths and play off them, like we we can't do it all, right?
• 55:59
  SPEAKER_01: We can't do every part, we can't be good at every part.
• 56:02
  SPEAKER_01: It's like as a PE teacher, I'm like, I can teach all the sports, but I'm not a very good tennis partner or whatever it is, right?
• 56:08
  SPEAKER_05: Like and so it was bad, it was badminton for me when I was a phys ed teacher.
• 56:13
  SPEAKER_01: And also like communication, like just being honest and and putting everything out there and spending a lot of time like with each other to get to know like what our needs are and and what being in the same mindset, you know.
• 56:26
  SPEAKER_01: We've talked a lot about leadership mindsets and and how we want to proceed and and what culture we want to start from the top to bring down.
• 56:35
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 56:36
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I think I I I agree with all of that.
• 56:38
  SPEAKER_02: And I think for me also we'll the other piece of it is like is trust and that kind of goes hand in hand.
• 56:44
  SPEAKER_02: And you know, and so part of that I think is the fact that Stacey and I have had a relationship, you know, for for a long time.
• 56:50
  SPEAKER_02: But then also the the trust that we have, you know, from Manitoban Somerset and you know, coming from from those experiences, I think has been really key.
• 56:58
  SPEAKER_02: And like Stacey said, communication.
• 57:00
  SPEAKER_03: So lovely.
• 57:01
  SPEAKER_03: I can't wait to hear how it went because we're excited to come back and tell you what.
• 57:06
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, I mean, because what do they say?
• 57:08
  SPEAKER_03: You win some and you learn some.
• 57:09
  SPEAKER_03: So I'm excited to hear about your wins and I'm excited to hear about your learn.
• 57:14
  SPEAKER_03: I'm sure we're gonna have some good stories.
• 57:16
  SPEAKER_03: Yes, and like I said, like I said, ladies, if it doesn't burn to the ground, success.
• 57:21
  SPEAKER_03: Thank you.
• 57:22
  SPEAKER_03: Yes, it's great.
• 57:24
  SPEAKER_03: Thank you.
• 57:25
  SPEAKER_05: Amazing, amazing, amazing.
• 57:27
  SPEAKER_05: Kelly, it might be that time.
• 57:29
  SPEAKER_03: All right.
• 57:29
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, should we move to our rapid fire questions?
• 57:32
  SPEAKER_03: Are you ready?
• 57:33
  SPEAKER_03: I'm so excited.
• 57:34
  SPEAKER_03: Yes.
• 57:34
  SPEAKER_03: Okay, this is fun.
• 57:35
  SPEAKER_03: This is fun.
• 57:36
  SPEAKER_03: All right, we will just so we don't be confused about who's answering first.
• 57:39
  SPEAKER_03: We're gonna go Lauren first and then Stacey, because that's who you are on my screen.
• 57:43
  SPEAKER_03: Okay, perfect.
• 57:43
  SPEAKER_03: All right, rapid fire questions.
• 57:45
  SPEAKER_03: Lauren, what's your favorite camp meal?
• 57:48
  SPEAKER_02: Lazy Sunday breakfast, wood fired breakfast pizza.
• 57:51
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, wood fired in your jammies.
• 57:54
  SPEAKER_03: I can see it.
• 57:56
  SPEAKER_03: Nice.
• 57:57
  SPEAKER_03: Okay, Stacey.
• 57:59
  SPEAKER_01: Either quesadillas or Chef Dakota makes a great steak tip recipe.
• 58:03
  SPEAKER_01: So I like steak tips and quesadillas.
• 58:05
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 58:06
  SPEAKER_03: Whoa.
• 58:07
  SPEAKER_03: Wow, you fancy in the Northeast.
• 58:09
  SPEAKER_03: Wow.
• 58:10
  SPEAKER_03: Okay.
• 58:11
  SPEAKER_03: If you could lead any program area, what would it be, Lauren?
• 58:14
  SPEAKER_02: That for me is is easy.
• 58:16
  SPEAKER_02: It's for Eastwood, it's adventure.
• 58:17
  SPEAKER_02: The fort making, we're gonna have a fort making in the woods, loose parks, outdoor kitchen, fairy houses, nature obstacle course.
• 58:24
  SPEAKER_02: Like I'm in there all day.
• 58:26
  SPEAKER_02: Well, Stacey?
• 58:28
  SPEAKER_01: I'm I'm swimming, I'm aquatics, I want to be in the water.
• 58:31
  SPEAKER_01: I like I said, I'm landlocked and I just want to be in the water as much as I can.
• 58:36
  SPEAKER_01: So I I would do aquatics if I could.
• 58:39
  SPEAKER_03: Okay, I did see that picture on your website of you going on a water slide with some red substance.
• 58:43
  SPEAKER_03: So I got a modern guide from that.
• 58:46
  SPEAKER_03: I want to know.
• 58:47
  SPEAKER_01: That's dirty day.
• 58:48
  SPEAKER_01: That's that's jello, not real jello, but okay.
• 58:52
  SPEAKER_03: I'm gonna follow up about that.
• 58:53
  SPEAKER_03: All right, s'mores, burnt or golden brown, Lauren.
• 58:57
  SPEAKER_03: Golden, Stacy, golden, Stacey, golden, same Z.
• 59:01
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, no carcinogens here.
• 59:03
  SPEAKER_03: Okay, missed home as a camper that made it hard to enjoy camp or peace out, Karen's yeah, Lauren.
• 59:10
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, missed home.
• 59:12
  SPEAKER_03: Wouldn't have made it.
• 59:13
  SPEAKER_01: Okay, Stacey missed home did not go for very long.
• 59:17
  SPEAKER_03: No, so you'll have great empathy if that happens.
• 59:21
  SPEAKER_03: Okay, all right.
• 59:22
  SPEAKER_02: Is a camp pro on the phone or in the action, Lauren?
• 59:25
  SPEAKER_02: You know, I had a question about that, and and the more you get to know me, the more you'll know I ask a lot of questions.
• 59:29
  SPEAKER_02: But I think I may be a both maybe both because I think in the action, but also on the computer, maybe not on the phone.
• 59:36
  SPEAKER_02: I don't know.
• 59:36
  SPEAKER_05: Okay, yeah, you're digging into spreadsheets and logistics and all that good stuff.
• 59:41
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah, getting the bus schedules going, drop off.
• 59:44
  SPEAKER_01: Exactly.
• 59:44
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, got it.
• 59:45
  SPEAKER_01: Which is why we're such great partners because I'm in the action.
• 59:48
  SPEAKER_01: I okay, yeah, great.
• 59:51
  SPEAKER_03: Last one, favorite camp song.
• 59:53
  SPEAKER_02: Oh my god, I laughed at this because I literally was like, I'm at a boys' camp.
• 59:57
  SPEAKER_02: I don't, they don't even sing so like I don't even know if I know a camp song.
• 1:00:00
  SPEAKER_02: Like, is there a camp song?
• 1:00:02
  SPEAKER_02: And then I was like, oh, wait a second.
• 1:00:04
  SPEAKER_02: And then I thought about it and I thought, like, okay, there is like the fight on with song, and and then there's taps.
• 1:00:09
  SPEAKER_02: So I think taps is I don't know, just not taps is my is my my favorite, I think.
• 1:00:16
  SPEAKER_03: That's interesting to think about that maybe at some boys' camp they don't sing.
• 1:00:22
  SPEAKER_03: That I've I've never thought about that before.
• 1:00:24
  SPEAKER_03: Interesting.
• 1:00:25
  SPEAKER_03: Wow, wow.
• 1:00:27
  SPEAKER_03: Okay, Stacy.
• 1:00:28
  SPEAKER_01: Well, Lauren stole mine because I said taps because I remember when my kids were infants, and I'm like, I'm supposed to sing to them.
• 1:00:34
  SPEAKER_01: And I'm like, I don't know what song do I sing to them.
• 1:00:37
  SPEAKER_01: We just started singing taps to them when they were like really little in the crib, and so now it has this double meeting is like now when I go back, we sing taps.
• 1:00:44
  SPEAKER_01: I'm like, oh, I don't sing to them anymore.
• 1:00:46
  SPEAKER_01: They're they're older, so it kind of has that amazing like camp and family feel, which both my kids grew up at camp, so it was perfect.
• 1:00:54
  SPEAKER_05: Core memory songs.
• 1:00:55
  SPEAKER_05: I have a question.
• 1:00:56
  SPEAKER_02: Do you guys do songs at day camp?
• 1:00:58
  SPEAKER_02: Like, is it when I saw that I thought like, okay, we're singing songs in the like in the dining hall, but which we don't do at Manitou.
• 1:01:04
  SPEAKER_02: Do you guys do that?
• 1:01:05
  SPEAKER_05: We do, we do a lot of singing.
• 1:01:07
  SPEAKER_05: A lot of the youngest kids do a lot of singing.
• 1:01:09
  SPEAKER_05: We have uh, you know, we have song leaders, we have mass gatherings where we have signature camp songs that the whole community sings together at gatherings, all that stuff.
• 1:01:19
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
• 1:01:19
  SPEAKER_02: Think kids can learn songs in a week.
• 1:01:21
  SPEAKER_02: You think that's doable?
• 1:01:23
  SPEAKER_05: Oh, yeah.
• 1:01:24
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, okay.
• 1:01:24
  SPEAKER_03: A hundred percent.
• 1:01:26
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
• 1:01:26
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, we do songs every morning and opening flag and closing flag, and then the middle, we bring everybody in the middle for tennis court like announcements and stuff.
• 1:01:34
  SPEAKER_03: So we do songs at all of those.
• 1:01:36
  SPEAKER_05: And when you come up with the and when you come up with the Eastwood song, which you will, yes, you know, it'll be part of your onboarding for campers before they come back next year.
• 1:01:45
  SPEAKER_05: And so we're all come knowing the song, right?
• 1:01:48
  SPEAKER_02: Yes, yes, yeah.
• 1:01:49
  SPEAKER_02: Although, you know what?
• 1:01:50
  SPEAKER_02: Honestly, uh, one quick thing, Stacey and I talked about like we're so curious how many kids will come back because it's like, you know, Jackie from Kippable Points talked about this.
• 1:01:58
  SPEAKER_02: If if we've done our job maybe well enough, they're they're ready to move on to another camp and then they're not back, but also they they might be back.
• 1:02:06
  SPEAKER_02: And so we were wondering that like, how many kids are going to be back to know the traditions of things?
• 1:02:10
  SPEAKER_02: We don't know.
• 1:02:11
  SPEAKER_02: We'll see.
• 1:02:11
  SPEAKER_03: That's yeah, that's interesting.
• 1:02:13
  SPEAKER_05: And that's and what exciting challenges ahead of you to figure that out too.
• 1:02:18
  SPEAKER_05: Like, those are the best problems to have, right?
• 1:02:20
  SPEAKER_05: Like, like, so exciting.
• 1:02:22
  SPEAKER_05: We wish that for you so much.
• 1:02:24
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you.
• 1:02:25
  SPEAKER_01: Thanks.
• 1:02:27
  SPEAKER_05: This has been so good.
• 1:02:28
  SPEAKER_05: Um, a real special topic, a unique one for Kelly and I.
• 1:02:33
  SPEAKER_05: And we just love, we can I can I personally can feel the synergy of your partnership and your friendship, and that can only lead to good things.
• 1:02:43
  SPEAKER_05: So we both wish you the best, and we can't wait to check in after the season to see how it all went.
• 1:02:50
  SPEAKER_02: Stacy, we're gonna have to send them text of us in costumes.
• 1:02:52
  SPEAKER_02: That's the best.
• 1:02:53
  SPEAKER_02: 100%.
• 1:02:55
  SPEAKER_02: 100% only if you'll send them back from you guys.
• 1:02:59
  SPEAKER_05: That that won't be a problem.
• 1:03:03
  SPEAKER_05: Agreed, agreed.
• 1:03:04
  SPEAKER_05: If our listen if our listeners want to get a hold of you, ask a question, pick your brain.
• 1:03:09
  SPEAKER_05: I know it's a tough time of year, but yeah, you know, we as camp people have always benefited from the people we've reached out to.
• 1:03:15
  SPEAKER_05: I I know you're the same.
• 1:03:17
  SPEAKER_05: Can you please share with us, Stacy, how do people get a hold of you?
• 1:03:20
  SPEAKER_05: Uh if they have if they're curious.
• 1:03:22
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, Stacy, so S-T-A-C-E-Y at campeastwood.com.
• 1:03:26
  SPEAKER_01: And yeah, anytime, happy to help, just like others have helped us for sure.
• 1:03:31
  SPEAKER_05: Lauren.
• 1:03:31
  SPEAKER_02: I'm Lauren, L-A-U-R-E-N at camp eastwood.com.
• 1:03:35
  SPEAKER_02: I'm also, I don't know, I'm on Instagram and yeah, please throw it out there.
• 1:03:39
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, so my my name is Mama M A M A B four three.
• 1:03:44
  SPEAKER_05: So sweet.
• 1:03:45
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 1:03:45
  SPEAKER_05: All right, mama B mama B.
• 1:03:48
  SPEAKER_05: Let's let's do it.
• 1:03:49
  SPEAKER_05: Kelly.
• 1:03:50
  SPEAKER_03: Yep.
• 1:03:50
  SPEAKER_03: Old fashion email, Kelly with a Y at Hidden Pines Ranch.com.
• 1:03:54
  SPEAKER_03: And then the show notes, my Instagram at KJ Shuna3 is also there.
• 1:03:58
  SPEAKER_03: What about you, Howie?
• 1:04:00
  SPEAKER_05: Howie at camrobinhood.ca, because we're north of the border.
• 1:04:04
  SPEAKER_05: We like that URL.
• 1:04:05
  SPEAKER_05: And you can also find me on social media channels at at Howie Grossinger, Instagram, etc., which would be great.
• 1:04:13
  SPEAKER_05: And please reach out.
• 1:04:14
  SPEAKER_05: We also, Kelly and I want to thank our sponsors at Camptivities for keeping the lights on.
• 1:04:18
  SPEAKER_05: We want to thank the team at Camp at GoCamp Pro Pro for supporting the work that Kelly and I do in this area.
• 1:04:25
  SPEAKER_05: We love it.
• 1:04:26
  SPEAKER_05: Please don't forget that you can find all of our show notes at gocamp.pro slash ownerspod.
• 1:04:31
  SPEAKER_05: You can find the resources that we mentioned in this episode and lots of good stuff from our show and other Go Camp Pro podcasts out there, which are fantastic.
• 1:04:39
  SPEAKER_05: So please check those out.
• 1:04:41
  SPEAKER_05: We hope you enjoyed this.
• 1:04:43
  SPEAKER_05: We wish everyone a safe, successful, and happy season and can't wait to see you, share with you, and reconnect in the fall.
• 1:04:54
  SPEAKER_05: All the best, everyone, and thanks for joining us on the Camp Owners Podcast.
• 1:04:58
  SPEAKER_00: Thanks for tuning in to the Camp Owners Podcast.
• 1:05:01
  SPEAKER_00: If you like what you heard, please leave us a review on Apple Music or wherever you listen to podcasts.
• 1:05:06
  SPEAKER_00: And don't forget, you can find our show notes at gocamp.pro slash ownerspod.
• 1:05:11
  SPEAKER_00: The Camp Owners Podcast is part of the GoCamp Pro Podcast Network.
• 1:05:15
  SPEAKER_00: Find a podcast for Camp Pros of every age and stage at GoCamp.pro slash podcast.
• 1:05:21
  SPEAKER_00: Hey Camp Pros.
• 1:05:22
  SPEAKER_00: We love that our industry is built on sharing.
• 1:05:24
  SPEAKER_00: In order to foster that spirit, if you've gotten even one good idea from a GoCamp Pro podcast, a masterclass, from the Supercamp Pros group on Facebook, at a conference, or wherever else, we ask that you give credit where credit is due.
• 1:05:37
  SPEAKER_00: That way, we can encourage camp pros to keep freely sharing their brilliant ideas and make the camp industry better.
• 1:05:43
  SPEAKER_00: Thanks very much.