Find all the show notes at https://gocamp.pro/ownerspod/coaching-staff

Why do some staff shut down when given feedback and how can leaders break through? In this episode, your hosts sit down with Dave Brown, LCSW, to explore brain-aligned strategies that help young staff actually hear, process, and act on feedback. Listen in as they unpack the “mentor’s dilemma” and share practical tools like transparency statements, belonging stories, and low stakes check-ins that build trust while maintaining high standards. If you’re looking to strengthen your feedback culture without sacrificing relationships, this episode offers clear, actionable approaches you can start using right away.

• 07:00 From Social Work To Camp
• 08:21 Launching Fence Post Learning
• 11:40 Why Feedback Feels Hard
• 12:45 Mentor’s Dilemma
• 15:55 Fragility Causes
• 21:53 High Standards, High Support
• 26:04 Transparency Statements Tool
• 29:15 Building Feedback Culture
• 33:51 Training Middle Managers
• 36:29 Why Feedback Breaks Down
• 37:42 Trusting Others With Feedback
• 40:42 Why Connection Matters
• 46:04 Belonging Stories Tool
• 50:15 Balance Scale Support
• 53:52 Mentoring Campers

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• Howie Grossinger - Co-owner/Director - Camp Robin Hood, Partner - Camp Walden & Madawaska Camps
• Kelly Schuna - Owner - Hidden Pines Ranch

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• Dave Brown, LCSW - Founder - Fence Post Learning, Director - Mountain Camp

Coping Mechanisms from Fence Post Learning

10 to 25: The Science of Motivating Young People

Your staff work late into the night to create perfect camper schedules. Prevent mid-summer burnout with Camptivities — the smart scheduling software that saves time, reduces mistakes, and keeps your team energized. Find out more at camptivities.com

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Fill out the 2026 Podcast Survey by February 28th and enter your email for a chance to with a $250 gift card from our friends at Gopher Sport. Find it at gocamp.pro/podsurvey

Find all the show notes at https://gocamp.pro/ownerspod/campfire-effect

What if belonging wasn’t left to chance, but intentionally designed? In this episode of The Camp Owners Podcast, Matt Kaufman unpacks “The Campfire Effect,” revealing how camps can use brain chemistry to foster deeper connection, resilience and growth. From navigating homesickness to building powerful staff cultures, this conversation offers practical strategies rooted in the simple idea that stress plus support creates lasting impact. Whether you work in camps, schools or teams, you’ll walk away with actionable ways to create environments where people truly feel they belong.

• 04:20 Matt’s Camp Origin Story
• 06:55 Why He Wrote Campfire Effect
• 10:38 Engineering Belonging at Camp
• 14:53 Neurochemicals and Dopamine Goals
• 19:53 Stress Plus Support Equals Growth
• 24:57 Training Staff to Support Campers
• 28:50 Camp Beyond Camp
• 32:13 Belonging Culture Non-negotiables
• 32:53 Welcoming New Staff Right
• 39:18 Belonging by Design
• 41:31 Inspect Your Rituals
• 44:58 Healthy Dopamine

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• Howie Grossinger - Co-owner/Director - Camp Robin Hood, Partner - Camp Walden & Madawaska Camps
• Kelly Schuna - Owner - Hidden Pines Ranch

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• Matt Kaufman - Director - Camp Ramaquois

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The Campfire Effect: How to Engineer Belonging in a Disconnected World

Matt’s Website

Your mission is campers. Ours is making their experience coordinated and connected.

Whereabouts is the only camper management system that keeps Parents, Admin, and Staff in sync in real time — so every camper’s day runs with confidence, clarity, and care. Check them out whereaboutsapp.io

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Fill out the 2026 Podcast Survey by February 28th and enter your email for a chance to with a $250 gift card from our friends at Gopher Sport. Find it at gocamp.pro/podsurvey

Find all the show notes at https://gocamp.pro/ownerspod/best-medicine

Summer camp isn’t just fun, it may be one of the most effective tools we have to support children’s health. In this episode of The Camp Owners Podcast, Associate Professor Keith Brazendale speaks about compelling research showing how camp environments can help combat childhood obesity. From the power of structured days and unintentional physical activity, to the role camps can play for low income families, this conversation connects research directly to camp operations and advocacy. You’ll also hear bold ideas about partnerships with schools and pediatricians, including what it could look like for doctors to “prescribe” camp. If you care about the impact camps have beyond the summer, this is a must listen.

• 06:12 The Impact of Summer Camps on Children's Health
• 08:10 The Structured Days Hypothesis
• 16:11 The Importance of Summer Camps for Low-Income Families
• 23:10 Promoting Camps Through Schools
• 29:36 Impact of Summer on Low Income Families
• 30:22 Logistical Challenges and Potential Solutions
• 31:32 The Role of Schools and Scholarships
• 32:19 Health Outcomes and the Faucet Theory
• 32:37 Summer School vs. Summer Camp
• 33:26 Promoting Healthier Children Through Camps
• 36:46 Unintentional Physical Activity at Camps
• 38:23 Pediatricians Prescribing Summer Camps
• 42:07 Pilot Study on Camp Prescriptions

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• Howie Grossinger - Co-owner/Director - Camp Robin Hood, Partner - Camp Walden & Madawaska Camps
• Kelly Schuna - Owner - Hidden Pines Ranch

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• Keith Brazendale - Associate Professor - University of Central Florida, Department of Health Sciences

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Keith’s Article: Could This Be a Simple Solution to Reducing Childhood Obesity?

Your staff work late into the night to create perfect camper schedules. Prevent mid-summer burnout with Camptivities — the smart scheduling software that saves time, reduces mistakes, and keeps your team energized. Find out more at camptivities.com

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Fill out the 2026 Podcast Survey by February 28th and enter your email for a chance to with a $250 gift card from our friends at Gopher Sport. Find it at gocamp.pro/podsurvey