From MBAs to Songbooks - with Jane McCutcheon - Intentionally Intentional Leaders
Mastering the "Business" of Camp with Jane McCutcheon
Building a thriving summer camp requires more than just "warm and fuzzy" feelings, it demands rigorous professional standards and an intentional focus on safety. Many leaders struggle to balance the magic of the campfire with the hard metrics of a successful operation. This episode breaks down why treating your camp as a high-level business actually protects the heart of your mission.
Big Ideas
The Business-First Paradox: Why prioritizing your camp as a business is the only way to safeguard the "soft and fuzzy" outcomes for your campers.
The Danger of "Homegrown" Hiring: The one interview question you’re likely skipping that identifies if a staff member loves the place or the people.
The Return Rate Deep Dive: How to use granular camper and staff return data to identify your strongest (and weakest) unit leaders.
Rethinking Supervision: Why the transition from "free time" to "absolute supervision" is a necessary evolution in modern camp culture.
The Caring Counselor Metric: What a 1992 focus group revealed about why parents really choose camp—and it’s not what you think.
Your Hosts
Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro
Jane McCutcheon - Jane McCutcheon is a legendary camp owner, author of over 10 industry-standard camp books, and an MBA graduate who has spent decades professionalizing the summer camp industry.
-
Thanks to our sponsor!
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/