Camp Social Founder Liv Schreiber on Recreating the Magic of Sleepaway Camp for Adults: “I Was Never Willing to Move Into a Boring Adult World”
…There are many reasons, starting with social media. Ironically, social media has made us less social. People have also become less in touch with themselves. Everyone is looking for the next best thing or how to appeal to others rather than how to appeal to themselves. We are in a time of disconnect. There is so much being thrown in our faces meant to scare, disillusion, and divide us, and I think it’s our job to combat that…
I had the pleasure of talking with Liv Schreiber on a day that felt like a snapshot of the very world she is trying to fix. We live in a time where everyone is staring at a screen, yet somehow, we’ve never been lonelier. Schreiber, the founder and CEO of Camp Social, has turned this modern ache into a business, but she doesn’t talk like a typical corporate executive. She talks like someone who realized early on that the “real world” was a bit of a trap. When we spoke about where this all began, she pointed back to her youth, specifically the moments that most people leave behind once they get a mortgage or a 401k. For her, the spark was “the moment I stepped into sleepaway camp.” She explained that her favorite thing is remembering how much fun she had as a kid, noting that this feeling is “really at the heart of everything I do.”
Schreiber seems to have made a conscious choice to avoid the gray, dull edges of maturity. She told me that she felt like a lot of adults make a sacrifice and give up that sense of fun. “I was never willing to move into a boring adult world because that’s not how I want to live,” she said. This refusal to grow up in the traditional sense has led her to create a massive community. Her main project, Camp Social, hosts over 300 women per camp weekend. It’s a three-day, two-night experience that aims to bring out “hundreds of women from around the world who want to reconnect with their inner child.” It’s sleepaway camp, but with a twist of modern luxury, featuring “cocktails, mocktails, and coffee.”
While many people in the wellness space talk about “retreats,” Schreiber is quick to distance her work from that label. She describes her events as “choose as you go,” where the activities are available 24/7. There is no forced schedule and, perhaps most importantly, no “boring speakers.” She told me that the mission is simply about having fun, and in her view, “that should be mission enough.” The activities range from the classic, like archery and tennis, to the trendy, like pickleball and “paint and sip” sessions. She brings in instructors from all over the world to ensure the quality is high, but the vibe remains loose.
There is a savvy business mind behind the campfire songs, though. Schreiber is deeply involved in the logistics, especially when it comes to the “goody bags” that have become a signature of the camp experience. She wants her attendees to feel the way a high-level celebrity might. “I’m constantly on the phone with top brands to ensure they are gifting the women as though they are influencers,” she said. She mentions big names like Dunkin’ and LaCroix, but she is picky about what makes the cut. She enjoys “saying no to anything that feels gimmicky.” Interestingly, the excess doesn’t just go to waste. After the camps end, she makes it a point to donate to women’s shelters, explaining that “it’s nice to know we’re giving back while running a business.”
The demand for what she’s selling is staggering. Schreiber currently has a 75,000-person waitlist and an email open rate of 60 percent. In the world of digital marketing, those numbers are almost mythical. But she doesn’t take the credit for herself. Instead, she sees it as a symptom of a larger cultural problem. “It’s not about me; it’s about connection,” she told me. She believes that social media, despite its name, has actually made us less social. People are constantly looking for the next best thing or trying to appeal to others instead of themselves. “There is so much being thrown in our faces meant to scare, disillusion, and divide us,” she observed, “and I think it’s our job to combat that.”
When asked what it takes to actually build something this successful, Schreiber pointed to a few key ingredients. The first is intention, making sure everyone is “aligned in energy.” She also stressed the importance of clear information and managing expectations. But the most vital elements seem to be the ones that are hardest to find in an office building: lightheartedness and music. She believes that once you encourage people to “let down their walls,” everything gets easier. Music, specifically “Earth, Wind & Fire and old songs everyone loves,” is what she uses to set a high frequency and a good vibe.
Even with the success of Camp Social and her other series, Hot & Social, Schreiber is finding new ways to stay grounded. During our conversation, her camera was off because she had just gotten a Golden Retriever puppy named Lucky. She joked that “you never know when he’s going to run away,” but she also noted that taking care of the dog has become a form of self-care. She told me that we don’t often talk about how “taking care of others feeds back into you and helps you thrive.”
As our conversation wound down, we talked about the bigger picture. Schreiber wants to inspire a movement that encourages women to try something new and let their guard down. She is firm in the belief that “you’re never too late to meet someone who’s going to change your life.” There is a touch of the philosophical in her approach to business, a reminder that the clocks are always ticking. “In our religion, we believe ‘ashes to ashes, dust to dust,’” she said. “The point of being here is not to collect things to brag about. The point of being here is to make each other’s time worth it.” It’s a simple idea, but in a world that feels increasingly divided, a weekend at camp might be exactly what people are looking for.
Yitzi: Liv Schreiber, it’s so good to talk to you again. Usually, when we start, I ask about people’s origin stories, but I think I asked you that last time. Let’s reframe it: You’ve accomplished so much; was there a point in your childhood that you think planted the seeds for all the amazing work you do today?
Liv: It is so great to talk to you. I would say it was the moment I stepped into sleepaway camp. My favorite thing is remembering how much fun I had as a kid, and that is really at the heart of everything I do. I feel like a lot of adults make a sacrifice and give up that fun, but I was never willing to move into a boring adult world because that’s not how I want to live.
Yitzi: That’s beautiful. Please tell our readers about the exciting new projects you’re working on.
Liv: Absolutely. I own a sleepaway camp called Camp Social. We host over 300 women per camp weekend across two weekends. This is our fifth summer bringing out hundreds of women from around the world who want to reconnect with their inner child — much like my own inner kid we just discussed. It’s sleepaway camp, but a little more elevated with cocktails, mocktails, and coffee. We have incredible brand partners like Dunkin’, Saucony, Little Words Project, Bloom Energy, and LaCroix, and of course, we foster intergenerational friendships.
Yitzi: Amazing. Is this like a regular sleepaway camp that lasts four or eight weeks? How long is it?
Liv: I wish! It’s actually a weekend — three days and two nights.
Yitzi: How would you describe how this differs from a regular retreat?
Liv: It’s different because it is “choose as you go.” All the activities are accessible 24/7, and you’re able to pick the things you actually feel like doing. You aren’t being shuffled around as a group to do things you don’t necessarily want to do. I don’t permit speakers or anything boring; it’s all about having fun. That is the mission, and that should be mission enough. We have everything from archery to dance, Olympics, tennis, pickleball, mahjong, board games, crafts, and “paint and sip.” I bring in instructors from all around the world to be a part of it.
Yitzi: Have you done this before? Has this happened in past years?
Liv: Yes, these are our fifth and sixth camps.
Yitzi: Looking back, can you share one or two stories that stand out from past experiences? These could be from behind the scenes of organizing it or from the perspective of those attending.
Liv: From an organizing standpoint, we are always working on goody bags so the girls feel like true influencers. I want them to experience that gifting, so I’m constantly on the phone with top brands to ensure they are gifting the women as though they are influencers. It’s fun having those conversations with brands I love and saying no to anything that feels gimmicky. The best part is that after camp, we donate to women’s shelters. I like to do a mitzvah; there is so much excess that it’s nice to know we’re giving back while running a business.
Yitzi: Why do you think an escape like this is more needed than ever?
Liv: We are definitely seeing the demand. I have a 75,000-person waitlist and a 60 percent email open rate, which is unheard of. It’s not about me; it’s about connection. If I can be the vehicle and the messenger for this purpose, it’s my job to build the things people need to connect.
Yitzi: Why do you think people today are so desperate for this type of escape?
Liv: There are many reasons, starting with social media. Ironically, social media has made us less social. People have also become less in touch with themselves. Everyone is looking for the next best thing or how to appeal to others rather than how to appeal to themselves. We are in a time of disconnect. There is so much being thrown in our faces meant to scare, disillusion, and divide us, and I think it’s our job to combat that.
Yitzi: This is our signature question: Liv, you’ve been blessed with success and have learned a lot. Looking back to when you started your first social camp, what are the five things needed to create a highly successful live event or retreat?
Liv: Number one is intention; your attendees must be aligned in energy. Number two is information. It seems obvious, but people need all the info presented in a clear and concise way. Number three is alignment. Once they arrive, knowing how to manage expectations is incredibly important. Number four is lightheartedness. Everyone takes everything way too seriously; the second you encourage people to let down their walls, things become easier. Lastly, I would say music. Music is the language that unites everyone. It’s about setting a high frequency and a good vibe — I love Earth, Wind & Fire and old songs everyone loves. Do those things and you have a great event.
Yitzi: On a personal note, can you share the self-care routines you use to help your body, mind, and heart thrive?
Liv: It’s funny you ask because I just got a Golden Retriever puppy named Lucky. He’s the reason my camera is off — you never know when he’s going to run away! I would say my self-care right now is actually taking care of something else. We don’t really talk about how taking care of others feeds back into you and helps you thrive.
Yitzi: This is our final aspirational question. If you could spread an idea or inspire a movement that would bring the most good to the most people, what would it be?
Liv: It would be Camp Social. It would be encouraging women to let their guard down, have fun, and try something new. I want people to know there’s no timeline on friendship or connection; you’re never too late to meet someone who’s going to change your life. At the end of the day, we all end up in the same place. In our religion, we believe “ashes to ashes, dust to dust.” I don’t mean to be morbid, but the point of being here is not to collect things to brag about. The point of being here is to make each other’s time worth it.
Yitzi: How can our readers follow your work or get on the waiting list for Camp Social?
Liv: I would love to have them sign up for our 2027 waitlist at campsocial.com.
Yitzi: Liv, it’s been a joy to talk to you again. I wish you continued success.
Liv: So nice to see you again, Yitzi.
Camp Social Founder Liv Schreiber on Recreating the Magic of Sleepaway Camp for Adults: “I Was… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.