Lauren Nearpass SUMMER 365

Lauren Nearpass, fellow downtown mom and CEO of Summer 365, and I sat down to chat all things… SUMMER CAMP! You may be wondering why we are talking about summer and camp during the dead of winter but you’ll want to check out the full interview below to learn more! And yes, there was Rose’ involved… just our ode to summer.

Lauren is a downtown mom and former camper! She knows the importance of getting it right. The right match between your child and camp that is… which ensures your peace of mind—and a summer your child will never forget!

Mary- What is Summer 365 and how did you come up with this business idea?

Lauren- Summer 365 is the premier consulting service created by parents for parents specializing in sleepaway camps and overnight summer programs for children and teens 7-18 and day camps for 4+. We’re a year-round resource to families and provide a customized and holistic approach to finding the best fit summer experience for each child and family.  

We are a mother daughter founded company. After my mom’s two decades in this industry and my desire to bring summer camp consulting to the 21st century for modern day families, Summer 365 was born out of our passionate belief of the life-changing, transformative power of a positive summer experience away from home! While technology has made information more readily available, a simple Google search or crowdsourcing on Facebook won’t cut it when it comes to your child. Our momboss powered team of experts is made up of first time camp parents, camp veterans, and everything in between. As trusted advisors, beyond navigating the camp search process, we love sharing information, tips, advice, and experiences to help moms in this new chapter of their parenting journey! 

Mary- Are you as obsessed with Summer as me? 

Lauren- Trick question?! For me, summer isn’t just a season, it’s a real lifestyle, and I plan for it 365 days a year. I #live10for2 … if you know you know. 

Mary- Were you a camper?

Lauren- I spent 12 of the best years old my life at camp, 9 as a camper and 3 as a counselor. Camp really is in my DNA. I know firsthand the lifelong ripple effect that a positive camp experience can have in your life. 

Mary- What would you recommend for new families looking at camps?

Lauren- There are a number of important things to consider when finding the right sleepaway camp including session length, location, gender (single sex versus coed versus brother sister camps), program format and activities, and budget. In addition to those key factors, I work with families to determine their most important criteria based on their values and the personality, needs and interests of their child and future siblings who will join them. A disclaimer I always like to make, is that it’s not only important to think about success in summer number one but also in years to come for your camper. Regardless of what direction a family wants to go in, I advise thinking about creating as much consistency and continuity in your camper’s experience as possible. 

Mary- When do you start to look at camps for your kids?

Lauren- It is very common to send first campers anywhere from 8-10 years old (finishing 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grades). It might be hard to believe your little person is ready at those ages but developmentally and emotionally it’s totally appropriate. However, starting camp is not age prohibitive in middle school or even as a teen.

 Also I highly recommend that mamas start their search a year in advanced. This gives families the opportunity to visit camps in person the summer prior to sending their camper to be. Tours offer families a close-up look at the facilities, program, staff, and camp community. Parents have the chance to see camp in action and meet with the camp directors. There is not better way to get a true feel for the camp culture and philosophy. Additionally, if you have a child (or parent!) that is nervous or hesitant about going (or sending their child away), bringing them into the conversation  and showing them the amazingly cool things going on at camp will definitely get them pumped and build their comfort level! Or, if you are deciding between two or more camps, it will be integral in helping you determine the right fit.

Mary- How do you know if its the right fit?

Lauren- It’s part art part science. Besides a camp that checks off most of if not all your boxes, it’s about that gut feeling. You know the butterfly in the stomach feeling. The best analogy I can give is when you try on the right wedding dress… that bridal moment when you know that it’s THE one. I love when a camp moment happens. 

Mary- How do you juggle work and momlife?

Lauren- It’s a constant juggle and the scale never feels quite balanced. In the pursuit of balance, it’s easy to feel you aren’t fully delivering in either category. But I think it’s so important to rethink that paradigm. I strive for work mom-life integration. I truly take it day by day and having the right support around me personally and professionally makes it (mostly) all achievable. 

Mary- If you give any advice to other moms looking to start a business, what would you say?

Lauren- Besides just DO IT … I’d have to give the PSA that a new business is like a new child. Once you know you’re going for it, it’s important to get laser focused and have clarity of your mission. Then unconditionally nurture and love it and be committed to its growth through all of its stages and milestones. There are a lot of challenges and frustrations but so many beautiful moments along the way. The lows may be low but the highs are oh so high. 

Mary- Any tips on managing your time?

Lauren- To do lists to help visualize and prioritize what needs to be done (I am a sucker for new notebooks and have dueling paper and phone lists) 

Being real with yourself and knowing what your skill sets are and acknowledging what aren’t strengths and finding people who compliment you and you can trust and delegate to 

Limiting phone / social media time each day - one of my recent hacks to really commit to this was setting a time limit on my phone settings so after a certain amount of time my phone locks me out of social media apps. It’s been really game changing to bring awareness and mindfulness to how much I was using it and freeing up precious time that could be productively spent elsewhere and focused on my family! 

Mary- Best summer mom must-have?

Lauren- Here is my recommended camp parent survival kid - 

Big sun glasses… for drop off

A bottle of rosé… for after the bus (or plane departs)

Good phone service and internet connections … so you can refresh refresh refresh those camp pictures 

Great stationery … to write to your camper 

A great summer wrist full of chic beaded and string bracelets … perfect for moms who are campers at heart 

Tie dye - everything… because it’s a trend we have and will always love forever 

To learn more about Summer 365 click here!