The CampHacker Podcast

Have some feedback? A topic suggestion? Text us!The All TOWS Show #2 - CampHacker #120January 9, 2020Fantastic Focus Groups - CampHacker #119CampHackerPodcast: Subscribe in iTunes | StitcherTool of the Week - (insert trombone music here)We’re back with a second edition of an all tool of the week show. We received a ton of positive feedback about the last episode and because we’re all about giving the camp pros what they want…here you go!Tune in to hear all about Gab, Dan and Travis’ favourite tools that help make them a better camp director.If you’re checking out the show notes for the links…hey! Here they are!Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp DirectorPhone appsDanFantastical for iPhone - https://flexibits.com/fantasticalGoogle Keep - https://keep.google.com/u/0/FlipClock - https://fliqlo.com/GabzDecide Now! - https://decidenow-app.com/Get Pocket - https://getpocket.com/Tyme - https://www.tyme-app.com/en/TravisPocketcasts - https://www.pocketcasts.com/Google Home - https://store.google.com/ca/product/google_homeGStone - find gaming groups - https://www.gstonegames.com/homepage_eng/SoftwareGabzGoogle Slides - https://www.google.ca/slides/about/Figma - https://www.figma.com/TravisBasecamp - https://basecamp.com/welcome-backCamelCamelCamel.com - https://ca.camelcamelcamel.comMightyNetworks - https://www.mightynetworks.com/BooksDanWhen by Dan Pink - https://amzn.to/2T25PQJOriginals: how nonconformists move the world by Adam Grant - https://amzn.to/39UaWZ5The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene - https://amzn.to/35AdxnNBonus: The Infinite Game by Simon Sinek - https://amzn.to/2QXgFF5GabzMending Matters - https://amzn.to/2QVwgosSapiens: A brief history of humankind - https://amzn.to/2s2D6QyProust and the Squid - Maryanne Wolf - https://amzn.to/2R17SlcTravis

Have some feedback? A topic suggestion? Text us!Fantastic, frank, feedback from families and staff.There are not many industries out there like ours…for many reasons!One of the primary ones is the focus that we all share on relationship building. Whether it’s between campers, staff and campers, staff and staff or admin and staff, building cohesive and strong relationships may as well be the theme of every day at camp.The relationships that our camps have with their families are unique and wonderful, too. Yes, families are our clients and any business out there can say, “We treat our clients as families”, but we know that when it comes to camp, we’re not just a service provider to those families, we’re partners in raising their children.Part of that “partnership” is showing families that we value their opinion and perspective when it comes to working with your camp.Now, hopefully, you’ve got some sort of feedback mechanism for your parents, (if you don’t, get in touch, we can help with that!). Surveys, calling families, soliciting online reviews are all good, but those can seem very surface level or even transactional. To up the level of trust, intentionality and intimacy with your families, it may be time to think about focus groups.A focus group is one of the best ways to get the real and emotion-driven feedback that you could never get from a digital survey. As well, spending that face-time with some of your most valued families is one of the best ways to build trust in your camp. When you show your families that you want to truly understand their perspective, you show them that you are committed to them and their child.Focus groups can also be a valuable tool to use with your staff. If you want to introduce change, brainstorm new program ideas or just see things from their perspective, a focus group can build trust and group buy-in among your team.What should you ask in a focus group? Where should you do it? Who should you ask to attend? All great questions! To answer them, Travis, Dan and Gab are on the case! Tune in to hear about the strategies and intentions that you should think about when planning your next focus group.What kinds of questions would you ask in a parent focus group? Let us know in the comments!Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp DirectorTravis: Custom inside joke stickers (check out the Youtube video of this episode to see Seth’s!)Dan: 5 Languages of Appreciation in the WorkplaceGab: Getting your camp dog vertified as a therapy dog or emotional support animal. Parents will love it!Your Hosts:Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - CampHacker.TV, Founder at Go Camp ProGabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp OuareauDan Weir, Sr. Director - Youth Development, Summer Camp, & Strategic Initiatives - YMCA of Long IslandRate and Review the CampHacker Show 

Have some feedback? A topic suggestion? Text us!We can go beyond acceptance.One of the things we all know to be true about camp is how much better of the world would be if EVERY child spent at least one week at camp.With that in mind, it’s important that we are consistently looking at how we are best serving campers and families that may be under-represented in our camp communities.Newsflash! Even though in the last 10 years we’ve begun to really talk about inclusion, there have been campers and families who have identified as LGTBQ+ for as long as the camp industry has been around! Furthermore, we can see that the world has begun to be intentional about welcoming and celebrating inclusion, and so has the camp industry.That being said, it would be the understatement of the year to say that the world, and even camp, has a long way to go towards being a completely welcoming, safe and celebrating place for LGTBQ+ campers and families to truly be themselves.We, as an industry have the chance to be an example of what it looks like to bring LGTBQ+ families and campers to the table and make our communities the type of place where they feel safe and welcome to call home. This is not necessarily an easy conversation. Some camps may be new to being outspokenly inclusive or maybe have never been made aware that they have a queer camper, staff or family and it can be hard to realize when we haven’t been doing well enough. Even still it’s a worthwhile conversation.As a start to that conversation, we welcome a fantastic panel to the CampHacker Podcast to help Camp Directors begin to think about how they can best serve their campers, staff and families who may identify as LGTBQ+. Joe, Travis and Gab are joined by Emily McGranachan from Family Equality Council, Ross Murray from The Naming Project, Chris Hudson from Camp Highlight and Nick Teich from Camp Aranu'tiq and Harbor Camps.We hope you find this show useful and thought-provoking.We know this is just the beginning of this kind of conversation. How would you like to see us continue it? Let us know in the comments!Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp DirectorGab: Desk Standing Balanceboard - FluidStanceChris: McDonalds to thank staff for their hard workJoe: 20v Max Cordless Tool Set + Lots of batteries for them!Emily: Made Good BarsNick: Amazon WishlistRoss: Prayer Squares (3x3 crochet squares! - Tune into this ep. to hear about this!)Your Hosts:Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - CampHacker.TV, Founder at Go Camp ProJoe Richards, Executive Director - Pearce Williams Summer Camp & Retreat FacilityGabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp OuareauEmily McGranachan, Director of Family Engagement - Family Equality Council - Family Week - Family Equality PodcastRoss Murray, Founder and Director - The Naming ProjectChris Hudson, Camp Director - Camp HighlightNick Teich, Founder and Director - Camp Aranu'tiq and Harbor CampsRate and Review the CampHacker Show in iTunes(Thank you!)Rate and Review the CampHacker Show in iTunes(Thank you!)Thanks to our sponsor!Radtagz - Be and Be Known

This podcast discusses the importance of building a support network in the camp community. The hosts share their experiences and tips for creating a purposeful network. They also explore tools for evaluating camp staff, recording videos with phones, and the importance of diversity and inclusion.

Have some feedback? A topic suggestion? Text us!Being not just productive, but effective.This is an episode for the off-season. It’s an episode that you may need when camp is quiet and you’re in the sweet spot where the summer is still fading and the next one is not yet coming.As a camp director, your brain is the most important resource you have. It would be an understatement to say that there is a LOT of stuff that fills your brain. It would also be an understatement to say that a full-brain makes for a disorganized brain and a disorganized brain makes for a disorganized camp director.Your years as a director can sometimes feel like a constant search for clarity, but what it comes down to is that you need a system to both get things out of your brain and into action effectively.To help you get a system in place and a clear brain, Travis, Dan and Joe share some of their philosophies, ideas and systems that they use to keep their minds free to think, learn and be the best pros they can be.Some systems and other things we talked about on this episode:Getting Things Done by David AllenWhen by Daniel PinkThe Eisenhauer Decision MatrixThe Productivity Planner and PDF PageNVALT - SimplenoteTextExpander SnippetsAre there any tools or systems that you love? Please share them in the comments section!Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp DirectorTravis: Rode VideoMicroJoe: Tickler File - create your own:Dan: “The Five Most Important Questions” by Peter Drucker.Your Hosts:Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - CampHacker.TV, Founder at Go Camp ProJoe Richards, Executive Director -Pearce Williams Summer Camp & Retreat FacilityDan Weir, Sr. Director - Youth Development, Summer Camp, & Strategic Initiatives - YMCA of Long IslandRate and Review the CampHacker Show in iTunes(Thank you!)

Learn about the importance of embracing change in the camping industry and how to introduce major changes at camp. The hosts discuss their experiences and challenges with implementing changes, including shifting schedules and changing camp culture. They also share tools for tracking spending and managing email. Don't miss their valuable insights and stories!

Have some feedback? A topic suggestion? Text us!Learn outside of camp, to lead at camp.Following along with our last episode’s theme of learning, we wanted to bring this podcast episode to you at a time where you may be planning your professional development for the year. However, even if you aren’t, it’s never too early or late to start thinking about how to invest in your professional development.Watch out though! It’s easy to get stuck in the camp body of knowledge when you’re trying to be better for your job and for your camp. It’s good to stay up to date with the latest in all things camp, but it’s important to think about reaching outside the industry as well. The best camp pros take inspiration from many places and if you’re Joe, Gab, and Travis, those places can get VERY cool!Conferences or opportunities that the hosts talked about on this episode:Free - Mastermind groups with fellow Camp DirectorsFree (ish) Creative Live - Free courses on all things creativeFree - Finding blogs to follow non-camp peopleFree - JournalingFree - Taking up a hobby that can also help camp$ - CampMavericks.com - Ongoing, for life!$ - ThinkCamp - Nov 26-28 - London, Ontario$ - Touring a bunch of summer camps in a region to learn directly from the directors$ - Online Courses - Skill Share - Especially for creative tasks.Possibly free through your local library (https://www.lynda.com/)$$ - Seth Godin’s Akimbo Workshops$$ - Your local or regional ACA, OCA, ACQ, Religious denomination or association conferences$$$ - Seth Godin’s Alt MBA$$$ - Nonprofit Story Telling Conference - Oct 28-30 - San Diego, CaliforniaWhat do you consider professional development? Any wicked conferences to plug? Let us know in the comments!Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp DirectorTravis: Superfans by Pat Flynn https://amzn.to/30aNepxGabz: DYI Standing Desk, or Top 5 Standing DesksJoe: Photo Resize: http://www.rw-designer.com/picture-resizeYour Hosts:Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - CampHacker.TV, Founder at Go Camp ProGabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp OuareauJoe Richards

Have some feedback? A topic suggestion? Text us!We are always learning.We’re back! After another wonderful summer of camp, Travis, Gab, Dan and Joe are here for Season 9 of the CampHacker Podcast.To get things started, our hosts share the biggest lessons that they learned from their 2019 camp season. That’s right, even these camp pros with over 50 years of combined experience are still learning. The best pros in the industry are the ones that are hungry for growth and one of the best ways to grow are from the hard-earned lessons that camp has a way of teaching us year after year.Tune in to this episode hear more about:Joe’s inspiration to teach people to have hard conversations and his experience touring East Coast United Church camps in CanadaHow Gab and her team filled in when they (temporarily) lost 3 of their 4 admin teamDan’s summer highlighting LGTBQ+ inclusion in the YMCA community and transition into a new role within the YMCA.Mental health in staff and campers in a new generationMuch, much more!Podcast SurveyAs well: We wanted to share our first ever listener survey. We want to get to know you, the listeners a little bit better! If you can spare 4 minutes, please fill out the survey. To say thanks, if you fill out the survey before October 15th, 2019, you'll be entered to win One Personal access to CampMavericks.com, for free, for life.Head to www.gocamp.pro/podsurvey.Thanks, pros, for helping us be better!-Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp DirectorTravis: Franz app https://meetfranz.com/Gabz: LunaFest SHORT FILMS BY, FOR AND ABOUT WOMENJoe: Internet Archive - Joe’s Library - Canadian Camping Magazine Archive: https://archive.org/details/@yoyojoerDan: Originals book by Adam Grant https://amzn.to/2O6HxTiYour Hosts:Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - CampHacker.TV, Founder at Go Camp ProGabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp OuareauJoe Richards, Executive Director -Pearce Williams Summer Camp & Retreat FacilityDan Weir, Sr Director - Youth Development, Summer Camp, & Strategic Initiatives - YMCA of Long IslandRate and Review the CampHacker Show in iTunes(Thank you!)

Have some feedback? A topic suggestion? Text us!Tools, Podcasts, Books and Strategies for Sustainability as a Camp ProOne of the best things about being a long time camp pro is that every year, we essentially find ourselves doing the same cycle over and over again. While this can be tiring, even exhausting, if we think about it another way, it’s also an incredible opportunity to get better and better without (too many) extremely large learning curves.In your search for consistent improvement, the CampHacker crew wants to help! In this episode, Travis, Joe and Gab are joined by the wonderful Ruby Compton (Yes! THAT Ruby from Camp Code!). These four pros join forces to share their sources of inspiration that help them find the drive, motivation and sustainability to innovate their camp, and the entire industry year after year.Below, is a list of most of what is covered from this episode. We included it for you, yes, you, who are awesome and read the show notes! Here you are, you awesome person, you!PodcastsRuby’s Picks (using the iTunes Podcast App) - CampHacker - Building a Story Brand - Outside In - Dirtbag Diaries - She ExploresJoe’s Picks - (using Pocket Casts) - 99% Invisible - Radiolab - Cool Tools - Zig Zag - The Daily From New York Times - Enneagram Podcasts - Reveal - (Also using the Google Assistant to play the news)Travis’ Pick (using Pocket Casts) - Planet Money - The Turnaround - I Think You’re Interesting - The Ezra Klein Show - Invisibilia - Code SwitchGab’s Picks (using the iTunes Podcast App) - Getting Curious (specifically the Katie Couric episode) - Queery - Two Dope QueensAudio Books Gab - Mating Within CaptivityJoe (using Audible and Local Library Apps) - Boys Adrift

Have some feedback? A topic suggestion? Text us!Camper today, camper tomorrow, camper for life.This is the time of year (January, for those tuning in later) where we are really starting to think about bums in bunks. Your registrations are starting to roll in and your dedicated, long-time camp families have picked their sessions and things are looking good.Take a second and think about those returning families. They weren’t always returners. At some time down the road, that family made a decision to choose your camp. Now, fast forward 5 or 10 years and that family has given you thousands of dollars and you have a camper or now even a staff member for life.So how do you get those future-long-time-families to make that initial leap?Well, if you’re reading this, you’ve either thought of listening to this episode, or are currently listening to it…in both cases, you’re super smart. The gang (Travis, Gabz, Dan & Joe) is all here, joined by friend of the show, Jalisa Danhof from Camp Newaygo to help you get those first-year bums in bunks.We say this a lot, but this is definitely a show you’re going to want to take some notes for, because these tips are going to give you the keys to ROCKING first year registrations this summer!What are you going to do this summer to level-up your new camper registrations this summer? Please let us know in the comments below!Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp DirectorTravis: Show Up Hard - by Shannon WeberDan: Meeting NotebookGabz: Decide Now App - Apple Store | Google PlayJoe: Philosophy: Buy The Best You Can Afford, Tested Gear & Tools TheWirecutter.comJalisa: Car Jump Starter - ANNKOO Quick ChargerYour Hosts:Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - CampHacker.TV, Founder at Go Camp ProDan Weir, Director of Camping Services - Frost Valley YMCAGabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp OuareauJoe Richards, Executive Director - Pearce Williams Summer Camp & Retreat FacilityJalisa Danhof, Assistant Director at Camp NewaygoRate and Review the CampHacker Show in iTunes (Thank you!)