Turn Around Strategies: Managing Leadership Transitions - with Heath Levine and Jonathan Gold - The Day Camp Pod #127

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Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/day-camp-pod/turn-around-strategies

When a day camp starts to lose its spark, what does it take to bring it back to life? In this episode of the Day Camp Pod, the hosts sit down with Heath Levine from Shibley Day Camp and turnaround expert Jonathan Gold to unpack what really goes into reviving an underperforming camp. From rebuilding a positive culture and engaging the community to tackling staff retention and marketing hurdles, they share real stories and strategies that have helped transform struggling programs into thriving ones. 

Highlights:

• 03:50 Heath Levine's Camp Journey
• 08:39 Jonathan Gold's Turnaround Insights
• 11:18 Establishing Camp Culture and Values
• 27:06 Marketing and Community Engagement
• 32:17 Flexible Work Schedules and Expectations
• 32:45 The Relevance of Face-to-Face Interaction
• 33:23 Marketing Strategies for Camps
• 34:00 Resurrecting Tamarack: Challenges and Strategies
• 34:57 The Importance of Community Engagement
• 40:51 Balancing Tradition and Innovation
• 52:51 Staff and Camper Retention
• 58:12 The Emotional Challenges of Leadership

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Episode Links:

Camp’s Golden Metric

Managing Transitions: Making the Most of Change

Your Hosts:

• Andy Pritikin, Owner/Director - Liberty Lake Day Camp
• Sam Thompson, Recreation Supervisor - Crystal Lake Park District
• Jordanna Grossinger, Director - Camp Robin Hood

With:

• Heath Levine, Director - Shibley Day Camp
• Jonathan Gold, MBA, PhD, Camp Owner/Director - the Arbor Group of Camps

Sponsors:

Thanks to our wonderful sponsors who help make this Go Camp Pro podcast possible:

• Commercial Recreation Specialists (CRS) 
  • Looking to elevate your camp experience? For over 25 years, Commercial Recreation Specialists has been transforming camps with water inflatables, Splashpads, playgrounds, and more! Boost your programming, drive registrations, and attract more campers. Our team of Recreation Specialists is here to help you design the ultimate space. Let’s take your camp to the next level – because we’re serious about FUN! Find out more at https://crs4rec.com/
• Campminder
  • Campminder has the most robust offerings of features out there. But more importantly, every feature works together to create a full, seamless system that helps camps run more efficiently. Visit them today at campminder.com
• Camptivities
  • Building the perfect camp schedule takes experience — and when a key staff member leaves, that knowledge can disappear. Camptivities protects your institutional camp knowledge and makes sure every camper gets the schedule you promised. Built by camp people, for camp people. Learn more at camptivitie