The Summer Camp Effect

It's officially summer camp season! Were you a summer camp kid?

I was. Kind of…

My cousin Whitney and I went to Camp Hollymont in Asheville, NC for YEARS. We were those baddies rolling in with matching t-shirt swag, because since WHEN does twinning not make a statement arrival?

Whitney and I would meet our campmates and be BESTIES with the whole bunch of them within minutes. Choreographed handshakes, competition chants, ongoing runs at Gin Rummy that lasted well past TAPS... you name it, we were IN.

I loved camp. But full discIosure, I also cried myself to sleep almost every night because I was homesick. Or perhaps it was because those bangs would just not grow themselves out (you know you were thinking it). But I digress...

Looking back, what amazes me isn't how homesick I got sometimes.

It's how quickly complete strangers became each other's people.

Within days, we trusted each other enough to join in on trust falls, laugh until our stomachs hurt, and create memories that stuck around for decades. I knew these girls approximately six hours before my first bout of boo-hoo'ing that brought them all around me for hugs, ghost stories, and bunk giggles- the best combo cure for homesickness.

As adults, we tend to believe relationships are supposed to take forever. 

We overthink networking events. We convince ourselves trust has to be earned over months or years.

But summer camp reminds us that's not always true.

Shared experiences accelerate connection.

Laughter speeds up trust. Curiosity beats small talk.

And the right environment can turn strangers into teammates faster than we think.

That has become a huge part of the work I do now... helping people connect quickly and confidently, whether they're leading a team, building relationships in sales, presenting to a room full of executives, or simply trying to communicate in a way that makes people want to lean in and listen instead of tune out.

Want to discuss how I can help your people do this better at your company (via a workshop) or conference (via a keynote)? Me too.

Click here to tell me more or simply comment on this blog.

If the event is out of town, no worries... I can generally make it through with no tears these days 😉

-Page