There’s something very soul fulfilling and quietly rebellious about building a life that doesn’t always make sense to everyone else, not in a loud or dramatic way, but in a steady, grounded way where you just know what matters to you and you choose to build around that even if it doesn’t always fit neatly into what other people expect.
This past weekend we came back from our third annual Summer Camp, three days of being with a group of families we love deeply, children running freely, adults actually present with each other, and a rhythm that feels more and more like something worth protecting in a world that moves so fast.
This year we met at Plettenberg Bay Forever Resort, which sits in that beautiful space where water and open lawns meet trees and quiet, and everything just feels a little softer and kinder.
We went just after the rush of the Easter weekend, when things had calmed down and the space felt like it could hold us properly without distraction or noise.
And that really set the tone for everything that followed.
How Summer Camp Started
Summer Camp began three years ago as a simple idea, something that wasn’t overly planned or structured in the beginning, just a desire to bring our people together in a way that felt intentional and real, to make it about the kids, to keep it simple, and to see what would happen if we removed all the usual layers that tend to sit between people.
From the very beginning it wasn’t something that needed to make sense to everyone, and in many ways it didn’t.
Some people understood it immediately and felt excited to be part of it, others weren’t sure, and some chose not to come at all, and that has always been completely okay because we’ve learned that not everyone will see your vision the way you see it, and not everyone is meant to.
And over time that has become one of the clearest lessons in both life and business, that the more honest you are about what you are building, the more it naturally filters the right people toward you and gently releases the rest.
Three Days of Beautiful Chaos
Summer Camp isn’t polished or curated or controlled in any way, it’s early mornings where coffee is made a little too strong and kids are already outside before most of the adults have fully woken up, it’s barefoot feet on grass and people slowly finding their rhythm together again without rushing anywhere.
There are games that stretch across the entire space, tug of war that pulls everyone into the same moment, an Amazing Race that moves between different parts of the campsite, canoes drifting down the river at sunset, and children jumping off cliffs into cold water with that kind of joy that only exists when you’re not thinking too much about anything else.
At night there are sparklers under the sky and fires that burn long after the sun has gone down, and conversations that seem to stretch a little further than they normally do in everyday life.
And somehow in the middle of all of that, everything just works the way it’s meant to.
No Devices Means Connection, Conversations and Realness
There’s one simple rule that shapes everything and it’s that the kids come together with no devices, and that starts before anyone even arrives so everyone knows exactly what they are stepping into.
It isn’t about control or restriction, it’s about creating enough space for something different to happen when the usual distractions fall away, and what we’ve noticed over the years is that when that layer is removed the kids naturally begin to look up more, talk more, and actually stay inside moments instead of stepping out of them.
And that really is the point of it all, connection, conversation, and realness that you can’t really recreate when everyone is half present and half elsewhere.
Why I Believe Camping Changes the Way You Connect
There’s something about camping that removes all the comfortable distance we tend to create in normal life, you can’t really retreat into separate spaces or routines in the same way, you’re just there together in a very honest and close kind of way.
Meals become something shared rather than individual, fires become the place where everyone naturally gathers, and even the small things like washing dishes or preparing food become part of a shared rhythm rather than separate tasks.
It’s not always neat or easy, but it creates a kind of connection that feels very real, and in just a few days it can reset something in you in a way that longer, more comfortable holidays often don’t.
Because it’s not just about resting, it’s about coming back into connection with each other.
Watching the Kids Grow
One of the most beautiful parts of doing Summer Camp every year is watching how the children change and grow, how their confidence builds over time, how friendships deepen, and how naturally they begin to look out for one another without needing to be told.
At the beginning of camp we always remind them that it’s not about winning, it’s about finishing together and making sure no one gets left behind, and that simple idea quietly shapes the entire experience.
There are no individual prizes, only shared wins, but what stands out the most are always the smaller moments, the child who keeps going when they’re tired, the one who encourages someone else without making it a big deal, the ones who naturally step into leadership in quiet ways.
Those are the things that stay with you long after the weekend is over.
When Things Don’t Go to Plan
On the second night the rain came while we were making dinner around the fire, not gently but with strong gusts of wind, so we moved into one of the cabins that a family who didn't own a tent had taken it ended up becoming one of the most memorable parts of the entire camp, because everyone simply adapted, the kids without hesitation and the adults a little slower but eventually with the same ease once things settled.
And it was another reminder that things rarely go exactly to plan, and they don’t need to in order for something to still be meaningful.
If You Want to Create Something Like This
Over the years we’ve learned a few simple things that hold it all together, not rules in a rigid sense but more like guiding principles.
Being clear about your vision even when not everyone understands it.
Choosing people who genuinely align with what you’re trying to create.
Removing distractions so real connection can actually happen.
Designing experiences where everyone is part of it, not just watching it.
And letting go of perfection because it gets in the way of presence.
Because in the end it’s not about creating something impressive, it’s about creating something meaningful.
The Real Lesson
This weekend wasn’t just a trip or a camp or a few days away, it was a reminder of something we come back to often, that you really do get to design your life in a way that reflects what matters most to you.
You get to choose the kind of memories you create with your children, the kind of people you do life with, and the kind of traditions you build that don’t exist anywhere else except in your own world.
Not everyone will understand it, and they don’t need to.
The right people will feel it and step into it with you.
And that’s enough.
So you build it slowly, intentionally, imperfectly, and beautifully in your own way, and you keep choosing it, year after year.
Because in the end, that’s what becomes your life.
One of the things I don’t worry about anymore when we’re away is whether the business is still showing up online.
Because we built a system that keeps things moving in the background even when we’re not there, not posting, not thinking about it.
So instead of feeling like time away slows everything down…
it actually feels like we can step out fully, without everything quietly falling apart behind us.
And that’s really the shift we care about.
Not being more online.
Not doing more content.
But building a business that can hold itself while you go and live your life.
That’s the thinking behind everything we build.
If you’re ready to stop guessing and posting sporadically every day and actually build a system for showing up consistently online, even when you're away living your life, this is the one we use in our own business.
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