Troop Leader Experience: A Podcast about Girl Scouts for Troop Leaders and other Girl Scout Volunteers

We're taking a little break here on the Troop Leader Experience podcast, but make sure to binge the 6.5 years of content we've already got here for ya in the meantime! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're all reeling from the results of the 2024 US federal election and although I'm not trying to get political in this podcast, Girl Scouts does have an interesting relationship with politics throughout its history. In this episode, I'm diving into the relationship between Girl Scouts & politics going all the way back to Juliette Gordon Low. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

ESPECIALLY if you hang out on Pinterest or in Troop Leader facebook groups, it can start to feel like there is just way too much to realistically do as a Girl Scout troop. And as a troop leader who really wants to make this experience as high impact as possible, that can sometimes feel overwhelming. How do those super troops on Facebook (or sometimes even the guests on this podcast) seem to do EVERYTHING there is to do? If you have ever felt this overwhelm and pressure to do all the things, this episode is for you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

No matter how old your girls are, you might have the same experience as one of my listeners who asked me how to handle the situation when it seems like the girls are always bickering and complaining, "That's not fair!" In today's episode, I'm sharing some of the foundational conflict resolution techniques and strategies I've used in my troop, learned in my educational background specializing in conflict resolution, and as the former mediator for my local council. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Giving back to our communities and making them better places is a fundamental part of the Girl Scout experience. Sometimes this looks like Take Action projects, or high awards, but just volunteering in general is something most troop leaders say is important to them when envisioning running a troop. But, especially when you have younger girls, what the heck kind of service projects can you even do with kids in K-12? Here's a great big episode full of ideas. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's a new Girl Scout year officially and I'm reflecting on some of my favorite traditions! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When recording last week's episode, I came up with the idea to do some activity suggestions - both indoor and outdoor, for all age levels - to build problem solving skills and conflict resolution skills. I hope you can use some of these ideas with your troop! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We hear people talk about "girl led" in Girl Scouts all the time -and although I've broken down what that term really means in this podcast a few times before, it's never too much and this week, I'm doing one better: I'm giving you 15+ examples of what it looks like to actually lead a girl-led troop and to foster leadership skills among your girls, no matter how old they are. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today's episode, I'm sharing some tips for what to pack when you take an outdoor adventure with your troop. Now listen, this is not an exhaustive list, especially because that largely depends on what the heck you are doing. But in general, I learned from experience that there are some essentials you should just bring with you for any field trip or outdoor adventure with your troop no matter what you're doing or how old they are. Here are my essential items that you must have! + Some bonus items that will really pay off... trust me. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

No matter what age group you're working with, we've got ideas for you to spend time adventuring outdoors! Outdoor activities are a huge tradition in Girl Scouts and so valuable for mental health, leadership skills, and relationship building. Tune in for another ULTIMATE GIANT LIST episode! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After another occurrence of senseless violence in the USA, everyone is talking about safety at school... including kids. We're all having strong emotional responses from this horrific event... including kids. Should we address this at Girl Scouts? And if so, how can we do it with the kids' best interests at heart?   Resources: https://www.girlscouts.org/en/raising-girls/happy-and-healthy/happy/extreme-violence-and-children-parenting-advice.html https://www.girlscouts.org/en/raising-girls/happy-and-healthy/happy/kids-worried-about-war.html https://www.nctsn.org/sites/default/files/resources/fact-sheet/talking-to-children-about-war.pdf https://www.schoolcrisiscenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Guidelines-Talking-to-Kids-About-Attacks-Two-Sided-Onesheet-Format.pdf https://www.nctsn.org/resources/coping-after-mass-violence    Fake News Activity from Girl Scouts: https://www.girlscouts.org/en/raising-girls/leadership/life-skills/kids-and-fake-news-critical-thinking-skills.html Support Uvalde: https://www.girlscouts-swtx.org/en/our-council/girl-scout-strong-for-uvalde.html Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, I am speed talking through 10 ideas for activities you can do at your back-to-school season troop meetings. I didn't mean to speed talk, but here we are. Don't listen to this one on 2x speed. I say this for your own safety. LOL Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Primary election years are a big deal in the US! But they can also be exhausting, and frankly, divisive. In this episode, I'm sharing 3 of my best tips for how to engage your girls in discussion and action around the fact that it's an election year... without actually getting involved in divisive politics that will alienate troop families. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, my guest is Sheri Bowman-Gazitt. We are talking all about managing DRAMA - girl drama, mama drama, and more. Connect with Sheri here: http://teen-wise.com http://facebook.com/groups/theparentinglab Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, I wanted to share some tips for running a multi-level troop, including some insights into my own story and how my own multi-level troop started and grew. ALSO I'm so excited to announce that I'm nominated for a Women in Podcasting award! You can support me (it's totally free) by voting for the show here: https://womeninpodcasting.net/awards Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're back for SEASON 7 of this podcast! And it's back to school season, which around here is also known as Back to Troop! Here are three things you can (and should) do to prepare for back to troop season! ALSO I'm so excited to announce that I'm nominated for a Women in Podcasting award! You can support me (it's totally free) by voting for the show here: https://womeninpodcasting.net/awards Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I know y'all love the easy-to-implement episodes, and this one is packed full of ideas you are going to love. My guest today is Laura Haver, and her book Play Together is going to be an incredible resource for your troop. She's sharing some of her favorite ways to play (while still learning and building skills and emotional resilience) and I can't wait for you to start getting some ideas from this episode to put on your troop calendar for this upcoming year. Get the book (this is an affiliate link): https://amzn.to/463QHpi Connect with Laura: https://laurahaver.com/ https://www.instagram.com/lauramhaver Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I first heard about executive function a few years ago and to be honest, it helped me understand neurodiversity on a level that is so much more helpful and useful. I was so excited to connect with this week's guest, Carrie Bonnett, because she specializes in helping kids (and adults) with executive function. I hope you're ready to learn something this episode - it's a good one! Connect with Carrie: https://www.carriebonnett.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

My guest today is Amy from Spark Joy with Amy. We're talking about the benefits of play-based learning for children's engagement and resilience. Connect with Amy www.sparkjoywithamy.com www.instagram.com/sparkjoywithamy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It seems like these days everyone is always talking about STEM. Also, in an effort to close the gender gap in STEM careers, it seems like Girl Scouts has maybe 'overcorrected' with STEM activities ALL THE TIME. Do you feel this way? If so, this episode is for you. My guest this week is Alyse Johnson-Chilla, full time high school science teacher and a parent of a new Daisy. We're talking about why STEM programming is important and how we can make it fun and accessible for girls (and for us!) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sometimes, we need a reminder about why we want to do this in the first place, and why this work matters. Today I'm reflecting on 6 years of this podcast and 112+ years of creating meaningful, safe spaces for girls. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today, my guest is Susan Day. Susan is an art therapist practitioner and a published author living in East Gippsland, Victoria. Susan hosts her own podcast, facilitates creative art sessions, and has over six mindful art therapy books published. Susan is enthralled with the power of art and the written word to change people’s lives. Connect with Susan: Website: https://mindfulartstherapy.com.au/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mindfulartstherapy Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mindfulartstherapy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Connect with Talia Bombola/Talia's resources: Www.therapywithtalia.com and www.taliabombola.com @taliabombola on IG and tiktok https://centerforadolescentstudies.com/how-to-validate-teens-even-when-you-dont-agree/ https://imperfectfamilies.com/50-ways-to-say-good-job-without-saying-good-job/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Girls are taught from the time they are literally babies not to trust themselves and they lose the ability to listen to their intuition. This is reinforced throughout childhood and adolescence, and even adulthood, and it gets more and more difficult to relearn in adulthood. Eventually, it seems like many of us have a definitive experience in adulthood that pushes us back to the importance of listening to our intuition and relearning how to tap back into that. One of the things that is so special about Girl Scouts is that we can help counteract society's bad teachings and help girls build self awareness and practice trusting themselves and listening to their intuition. This carries into their teenage and adult years to help them make better decisions for themselves. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A few weeks ago we talked about digital marketing, and you all told me you really wanted to hear more about how to run Facebook/Meta ads. I brought in an expert for this one ;) Connect with Helena: https://www.chicago42.com/ https://www.instagram.com/chicago42digital/ https://www.facebook.com/Chicago42Digital/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A couple of weeks ago I answered the question "What are some of your best tips for a new Brownie leader?" Buuuuut I confess that my answer is probably not what the person who asked the question expected to get. So, in part 1 a few weeks ago I answered honestly about where I would start as a brand new leader. And in this episode, part 2, I focused more on some tips about how to get started planning your meetings and activities for girls of different levels. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

My guest in this episode is Roya Dedeaux, a licensed therapist who specializes ins creative teen therapy, art groups, parenting courses, and more for better mental health. We are specifically talking about how to connect with teens in our troops, but if you have littles in your troop, I know there is a lot of value in this conversation for you, too. Connect with Roya: https://www.royadedeaux.com/ Recreate Parenting podcast: https://www.royadedeaux.com/podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you're new to Girl Scouts like April, this is my best checklist of items to take care of to get started. RSVP for our upcoming New Leaders Circle: https://subscribepage.io/NfeamT Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, my go-to returning guest Sheryl Robinson is back and we are talking about Adult Recognitions and Appreciation. Breezing through some of the awards that are available both nationwide and council-specific, we’re talking about the formal methods of adult appreciation in Girl Scouts as well as the other ways we can recognize each other.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

TRIGGER WARNING: This week’s episode is about the sensitive topic and themes around youth suicide awareness & prevention.  The number one cause of death of youth today is suicide. And although boys may have a higher death rate from suicide attempts, girls have a higher attempt rate. As adults who work closely with girls in K-12, we have a special role in recognizing warning signs and helping girls see another way out when it feels like there isn’t one. Our guest today, Suzi Freeman, works with both teens and their adults to build resilience, healthy coping mechanisms, and suicide prevention. Suzi offers suicide prevention certification classes for parents and adults working with kids, and she’s offered us two great NO-COST options to get as many of us certified as possible:  For a self-paced course (100% free): https://www.suzifreeman.com/suicide-prevention  Use code SCOUTS to waive the registration fee OR Join us live (**I’ll be there!!!**) for a Troop Leader Experience certification course + Q&A (100% free): https://www.suzifreeman.com/service-page/live-qpr-certification-virtual Use code ScoutsLive to access and book that for free. About Suzi: https://www.suzifreeman.com/about-suzi  Connect with Suzi: Instagram | LinkedIn | Facebook https://www.suzifreeman.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week I’m here inspired by a question asked in the Facebook group by Christin. She wanted to know:  Our Council is pushing for a spring enrollment campaign.  What community service-unit level recruitment events have you seen work well? In this episode, I shared some basics about recruitment in general (because even though that’s not what I set out to record today, it felt necessary to establish a baseline response), a direct answer to this question about the recruitment events I know are really popular in my area, and also my ideas and thoughts about a HUGE missed opportunity for recruitment: online marketing. I’m a business owner, and online marketing is literally how I’ve built my multi-six figure business. I started from 0 as a solopreneur service provider, and now I have a team across multiple states and a pretty sizable book of business getting remarkable results. So, I know a thing or two about online marketing. I also know quite a few really spectacular online marketing experts who will have even more thoughts and insight into how we could potentially incorporate online marketing into our recruitment efforts, if that sounds interesting to you. Did this episode give you ideas? Or did it just give you more questions? Do you want to hear even more about this? I would be happy to do some additional episodes digging more into these types of ideas for innovative recruitment efforts if it’s interesting. Let me know in the Facebook group or send me an e-mail at [email protected]  facebook.com/girlscoutpodcast  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

April is the Month of the Military Child and my guest this week, Tiffany, is a troop leader on a military base in Western Ohio. We are talking all about her experience as a troop leader of a smaller troop, but also about the significance and impact that Girl Scouting can have for military kids in particular. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week I’m joined by ANOTHER guest! I know how much you love these episodes. My guest this week is Maggie, multi-level troop leader in Northern California. She runs a Daisy/Brownie troop, but not in the typical way you might be thinking. If you sometimes feel like all you want to talk about is Girl Scouts and it’s become your entire personality, you’re going to love this interview. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

My guest today is Betsaida Lebron from ImprovEQ. Her framework for corporate leadership about infusing play, empathy, and bravery fits right into Girl Scouts, so I knew she would be a great guest with incredible insights to share and she does not disappoint in this episode. You are going to love her explanation about what emotional intelligence means and why it’s important for girls, tips and suggestions (including some activities) for helping girls build their emotional intelligence and confidence, how we can be playful leaders ourselves when leading our troops, and how we can spice up those long boring monthly leader meetings. Connect with Betsaida: https://improveq.com/ https://www.betsaidalebron.com/ https://www.instagram.com/playfulleader Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Have you ever thought about what it would be like to run a troop of 60+ girls? Ashley from Middle TN is sharing some insight into her experience as an "01" for a supersized troop, plus some great insights from her special education background about cultivating a truly inclusive and accessible troop for all girls. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It can be disheartening when we put so much love and effort into Girl Scouts - especially Cookie Season - and the families in our troop don't prioritize Girl Scouts like they do other activities. Have you ever felt like this, too? That's what today's episode is all about. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on the podcast, we have Ashley Rogers, a life coach who works with tween and teen girls, to discuss some of the challenges facing young women today. I know you will find this conversation informative and as enlightening and thoughtful as I did!  https://www.instagram.com/ashleyrogerslifecoaching/ https://ashleyrogerslifecoaching.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I asked you a couple of weeks ago if it would still be helpful to do an episode about a parent/guardian meeting even though it's a little late in the season and most of you have probably already done them. I heard a resounding YES PLEASE from several of you so here it is! I really hope this is helpful :) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I have a LOT of experience with cookie season: as a girl selling, as staff managing cookie inventory and distribution, and of course as a troop leader. I gathered some of my best practices for cookie season to help you have a smooth experience. Do you have some best practices and tips you want to share? Jump into the Facebook group at facebook.com/girlscoutpodcast and share with all of us! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Everyone wants to know about: Requiring/mandating participation in the cookie program How to distribute sales (especially from booths!) per girl How the money distribution works per girl (and can we give girls more credit who put in more hustle) These are THE 3 questions I get the most often about cookies and the questions I see asked most often in other Facebook groups, etc. Here are my thoughts! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tis the season to talk about cookies, sooo... here are my best top 3 tips for this year's cookie season. I really hope these tips help with perspective, creativity, and innovation. Cheers to a great season! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is one of those podcasts where we use outside sources to talk about the bigger picture of ~the movement.~ Today, I'm looking back at the past year for girls and children around the world and looking forward to how this connects to our focus areas for 2024. Here are some sources I refer to or directly read from in this episode: https://www.wagggs.org/en/resources/ https://www.unicefusa.org/stories/after-brutal-year-room-hope-unicefs-impact-2023 https://www.unicefusa.org/stories/what-child-wasting https://www.unicefusa.org/stories/unicef-usa-advocacy-2023-wrapped https://www.unicefusa.org/stories/thank-you-being-there-children-2023 World Thinking Day 2024: DBJ: https://www.girlscouts.org/content/dam/gsusa/forms-and-documents/members/global/24_WorldThinkingDayFacilitatorGuide_DBJ.pdf CSA: https://www.girlscouts.org/content/dam/gsusa/forms-and-documents/members/global/24_WorldThinkingDayFacilitatorGuide_CSA.pdf Donate: Keep girls in school: https://www.market.unicefusa.org/inspired-gifts/keep-girls-in-school-pack/GIRLSED2022/ School in a box: https://www.market.unicefusa.org/inspired-gifts/school-in-a-box/S9935097-B22/ Family Hygiene & Dignity kit, anti-malarial tablets, polio vaccines, a first aid kit, Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food, therapeutic milk, mosquito nets, fleece blankets and a School-in-a-Box: https://www.market.unicefusa.org/inspired-gifts/survive-then-thrive%21/18UUSABG4-B22/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re back with one of our favorite return guests, Sheryl! We’ve talked about so many topics from gold awards to silver awards to older girl retention and today we are talking about preparing to attend convention as an adult attendee, a national delegate, or as a chaperone for girls (or all of the above!).  Sheryl is the host of the Hearts of Gold podcast, where she interviews Gold Award Girl Scouts about their projects. You can find it anywhere you listen to podcasts! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you're thinking about or planning a holiday/Christmas party for your troop, this replay episode will give you some things to consider to ensure you are cultivating an inclusive troop environment. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week I'm answering your questions again! Thanks to Donna and Tabatha for this week's questions. Want to ask a question? Join the Facebook group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/girlscoutpodcast) or send me an e-mail ([email protected]) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, I'm interviewing my friend Niki, who is a troop leader, service team member, and board member for my council, Girl Scouts Arizona Cactus-Pine. In addition to sharing her own Troop Leader story, she's also shedding light on what the board does and how to get involved in the movement at a higher level.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's guest is my friend and former GSACPC colleague, Amber R. She currently works for the Girl Scouts of Eastern Iowa & Western Illinois council. Her experience is in conflict resolution, recruitment, and volunteer support and in today's episode, she's sharing some stories about her own Girl Scout experiences, some advice for troop leaders about conflict resolution, and some insight into the focus areas of the Movement based on what our girls are up against today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The national convention recently happened in Orlando, FL and a lot of you have been wondering, what is it like to go to convention? I brought on a guest who traveled across the country with her daughter to attend for the first time. In this interview, Vanessa and I chatted about her expectations beforehand (what was met, what was exceeded, and what was a bit of a letdown), how she was personally impacted during the most moving parts of the event including the opening ceremony and keynote address, and her advice and suggestions for people considering attending convention in 2026.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Happy Founders Day TODAY, October 31. Juliette Gordon Low, the founder of Girl Scouts in the USA, was born on October 31, 1860. In honor of her birthday, this week, we are talking about Juliette Low! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we are catching up with Merana Cadorette, a lifetime Girl Scout who is focused today on history, archives, and art. Join her Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/FLGirlScoutCollection Check out the Juliette Low book she refers to here: https://www.amazon.com/Stacy-A.-Cordery/e/B001H6L8HU You can find the 2nd edition of the Collector's Guide here: https://www.amazon.com/Mary-Degenhardt/e/B001JS5BN8 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices