Troop Leader Experience: A Podcast ab...

The first ever podcast of its kind: interviews with GS volunteers across the country & even the world, conversations with goal-getter girls, and panel discussions & debates about all the latest news & information regarding all things Girl Scouts. (This podcast is not affiliated with or sponsored by GSUSA; it is completely volunteer and girl driven.)

Non-Profit
Parenting
Society & Culture
1
The Pressure to Hit Every Meeting Out of the Pa...
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.
37 min
2
Playful Leadership and Emotional Intelligence f...
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.
41 min
3
Disabilities, inclusivity, and neurodiversity w...
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.
50 min
4
Parents don't take Girl Scouts as seriously as ...
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.
35 min
5
Navigating Sensitive Topics with Tween and Teen...
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!
44 min
6
Cookie Parent/Guardians Meeting Plan
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 :)
46 min
7
Sarah's Best Practices for Cookie Season
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!
35 min
8
The Most Frequently Asked Cookie Questions
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!
44 min
9
3 Top Tips for Cookie Season 2024
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!
39 min
10
Cheers to a New Year Advocating for Girls
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.
50 min
11
Preparing for Convention with Sheryl R. of Hear...
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!).
45 min
12
REPLAY: Holidays, End of Year Parties, and DEI
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.
34 min
13
Ask Me Anything: Inclusivity, Accessibility, an...
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 (girlscoutpodcast@gmail.com)
45 min
14
Managing Uncertainty and Opportunities for Stre...
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.
33 min
15
Conflict Resolution and Issues Facing Girls Tod...
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.
27 min
16
What happened at Convention 2023? - with Vanessa L
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.
46 min
17
BONUS REPLAY: Happy Founder's Day: A Brief Intr...
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!
20 min
18
BONUS REPLAY: Interview with Girl Scout Archivi...
This week we are catching up with Merana Cadorette, a lifetime Girl Scout who is focused today on history, archives, and art.
27 min
19
BONUS REPLAY: Interview with Archivist/Historia...
This week we are bringing you an awesome interview with Susan Eckers, who was a Girl Scout leader across all levels for her own daughter and then stayed on to train and mentor other volunteers, and to serve on her council's history committee. She's attended both the 75th and 100th anniversary celebrations and has gone to nearly every convention in her time as a Girl Scout volunteer. Girl Scouts is such a big part of her family that even her husband serves on her council's history committee! Susan shares not just some interesting stories and memories of her own experiences, but she also shares some tips and best practices and advice for leaders, some historical perspective and history including multiple great Juliette Low stories, and more!
49 min
20
Ask Me Anything: Help! I'm new, overwhelmed, an...
This episode is based on a question from an anonymous leader on Facebook recently... (Actually, she wasn't anonymous, but I forgot to include her name in the screenshot I took of her question... oops!)
39 min
21
Ask Me Anything: How do I manage multi-level tr...
This episode is based on a question from an anonymous leader on Facebook recently...
25 min
22
Back To Troop Bonus: The Girl Scout Leadership ...
On this podcast, we LOVE to talk about GSLE, but if you're new to Girl Scouts, you probably need a brief overview. In this Back to Troop Bonus, we are talking about the three keys to leadership and the three processes as outlined by the GSLE framework.
55 min
23
Cross-Country Trip to Savannah, GA with guest J...
This week I am joined by guest Jennifer from GS NorCal. She’s a troop leader for older girls and a member services manager supporting the volunteers in her area. She’s got advice for new troop leaders, shares her best tips for older girl retention, and best of all: we are talking ALL about her trip to Savannah with 13 twelve-year-old Girl Scout Cadettes.
48 min
24
Back To Troop Bonus: Uniforms 102
Last week's Back to Troop Bonus episode was an introduction to uniforms, so this week we are talking about insignia and badge placement.
41 min
25
Ask Me Anything: Family Trip to Savannah, Arriv...
This episode is based on a couple of questions from Facebook recently...
26 min