Jack Schott: summer camp lifer

Jack Schott is a 36-year-old summer camp consultant, former camp founder, and self-directed learning advocate who spends a lot of time thinking about money. (jackschott.com)

Jack occasionally earns $1,500-$3,500 in a single day by running corporate trainings and camp staff workshops: work that doesn’t always light him up, but work that is very useful for buying time, freedom, and very possibly, another summer camp that he can direct.

Jack describes the tension he feels between wanting to do meaningful work and not wanting to be tied down. At his most purposeful, he was co-running a camp in upstate New York with his ex, building cabins by hand and forming deep relationships with kids and staff—but he felt trapped. Now he’s try ...