{"podcast":{"title":"Grow Your Camp","slug":"grow-your-camp-7692382","podcast_index_feed_id":7692382,"rss_url":"https://api.riverside.fm/hosting/idzX3ZjO.rss","website_url":"https://growyourcamppodcast.com/","image_url":"https://hosting-media.riverside.com/media/podcasts/a20bc04e-40b5-4e64-a5f2-67eda6997509/logos/77d4b576-d2d3-4be8-9782-7613ef8ab5a1.jpeg","author":"Mark P. Fisher & Carl Lefever","episode_count":17,"summary":"Welcome to the Grow Your Camp Podcast: 'Cause You Can't Minister to Empty Beds Where we share stories and systems to help camps grow. Hosts: Mark P. Fisher , of Inspiring Growth Carl Lefever , of Improve & Grow Overview: Most camp directors didn't sign up to be marketers. They signed up because they know what happens to a kid who spends a week away from everything — and they wanted to be part of it. But empty beds are a real problem, and figuring out how to fill them, fund the mission, and still lead well is work nobody really prepared you for. The Grow Your Camp Podcast exists for that director . Every episode opens with one tactic you can use this week — then goes deeper with a real camp leader who's already solved the problem you're sitting with. Real numbers. Real stories. The systems behind the growth. This is what it sounds like when the mission gets to grow. Key Themes: Filling the Calendar: Strategies and real-world examples of how retreat and camp leaders increase bookings and reduce seasonal gaps. Topics might include: lead generation systems, improving inquiry response times, pricing strategy, market positioning, capacity management, and off-season marketing approaches.…","last_synced_at":"2026-07-18T20:20:44.188986+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/grow-your-camp-7692382"},"episode":{"title":"Ep 6 | From Empty Beds to a Waiting List","slug":"ep-6-from-empty-beds-to-a-waiting-list","published_at":"2026-04-03T20:57:59+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/grow-your-camp-7692382/ep-6-from-empty-beds-to-a-waiting-list","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/grow-your-camp-7692382","url":"https://api.riverside.com/hosting-analytics/media/5d7deba78c6c6c79d2c2d77c9988ea9ceb300fff86540292c793894018ea8a39/eyJlcGlzb2RlSWQiOiIxZWRmNWMwZC0xZGM0LTQyM2EtOGI2Yi02ODcwYzBkYjNhZWUiLCJwb2RjYXN0SWQiOiJhMjBiYzA0ZS00MGI1LTRlNjQtYTVmMi02N2VkYTY5OTc1MDkiLCJhY2NvdW50SWQiOiI2OTI0ZmUzZmQ5YTYwMzc4YTgzYjNmOWMiLCJwYXRoIjoibWVkaWEvY2xpcHMvNjlkMDI2ZDlkMDY4OGYzZGM2MDZmNmQyL2dyb3cteW91ci1jYW1wLXBvZGNhc3QtY29tcG9zZXItMjAyNi00LTNfXzIyLTQ1LTEyLm1wMyJ9.mp3","audio_url":"https://api.riverside.com/hosting-analytics/media/5d7deba78c6c6c79d2c2d77c9988ea9ceb300fff86540292c793894018ea8a39/eyJlcGlzb2RlSWQiOiIxZWRmNWMwZC0xZGM0LTQyM2EtOGI2Yi02ODcwYzBkYjNhZWUiLCJwb2RjYXN0SWQiOiJhMjBiYzA0ZS00MGI1LTRlNjQtYTVmMi02N2VkYTY5OTc1MDkiLCJhY2NvdW50SWQiOiI2OTI0ZmUzZmQ5YTYwMzc4YTgzYjNmOWMiLCJwYXRoIjoibWVkaWEvY2xpcHMvNjlkMDI2ZDlkMDY4OGYzZGM2MDZmNmQyL2dyb3cteW91ci1jYW1wLXBvZGNhc3QtY29tcG9zZXItMjAyNi00LTNfXzIyLTQ1LTEyLm1wMyJ9.mp3","summary":"In this episode, Carl shares a camp marketing tip on how answering unasked questions on your website can dramatically increase retreat inquiries. Then Mark sits down with John Schwieterman, Executive Director of Cross Oaks Camp and Retreat Center, to unpack how he transformed a struggling camp into a rapidly growing operation. John shares the real story behind that growth—from cold calling hundreds of churches with limited results to implementing a system that now generates consistent inbound leads and an 88% close rate. They walk through the practical changes that made the difference, including website improvements, digital marketing strategy, and the leadership shift required to stop doing everything alone. You’ll hear what actually worked, what didn’t, and how to think about growth as both an operational and strategic challenge. If you’re trying to fill more beds, increase bookings, or move your camp out of survival mode, this episode gives you a clear, real-world example of what that path can look like. Keywords camp growth, retreat bookings, camp marketing, lead generation, website optimization, digital marketing, camp leadership, nonprofit growth, camp revenue, guest groups Key Topics Why most camp websites fail to convert inquiries The shift from cold outreach to inbound lead generation Website structure and FAQ strategy for better conversions Using Google Ads and SEO to drive qualified leads Improving close rates with better lead quality The operational challenges that come with growth Leadership mindset: when and how to ask for help Measuring ROI on marketing investments Hosts Mark P. Fisher, Inspiring Growth Carl Lefever, Improve & Grow Guest John Schwieterman, Executive Director Cross Oaks Camp and Retreat Center Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Episode O…","meta_description":"In this episode, Carl shares a camp marketing tip on how answering unasked questions on your website can dramatically increase retreat inquiries. Then Mar…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":2425,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/grow-your-camp-7692382/episodes/ep-6-from-empty-beds-to-a-waiting-list/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/grow-your-camp-7692382/ep-6-from-empty-beds-to-a-waiting-list.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}