Meet Brian Manhart of Camp Kiowa in North

Today we’d like to introduce you to Brian Manhart.

Brian, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Following 18 years on a Kansas farm with his parents and five siblings, Brian earned a bachelor’s degree and went on to receive his master’s degree from the University of Kansas. Nearing the end of graduate school and an athlete on the university water ski team, Brian applied for work as a camp counselor and relocated to the state of Maine, where he would spend his first three years at summer camp. His first summer at camp as a Kansas farm kid living with seven, ten year old Jewish boys would be described as, “some of the best days of my life… Those were ‘my boys.’ We were a family.”

In 2001, and after witnessing the tragedy of 911 in NYC and feeling the stress of living so many miles from his Kansas roots, he opted to broaden his camp experience in the Texas Hill Country. He began work outside of Austin in 2001. In 2004, he met and married Jennifer (a registered nurse). After being asked to do a camp presentation back in NYC, he came home to an email asking if he would be interested in purchasing Camp Kiowa. Within a year, he and Jennifer were moving to Denton following the purchase of their new camp.

Originating on the college campus at Texas Woman’s University, Brian saw the potential to focus on the discovery of individual campers’ gifts and strengths through an extraordinarily fun overnight camp experience. Stemming from that feeling of indecision and lack of clarity as a young man, he was interested in helping kids understand the individual value in themselves and clarity in what they did well… And to a degree, the “why” behind their existence.

In 2009, and at the age of 34, Brian purchased the 81 acre Lone Oak Ranch property and has made it Kiowa’s home. Five meeting spaces, full food service, overnight cabins, guest homes, and hotel rooms, stables, hiking trails, a paintball course, riding arena and fishing ponds… It is the vehicle used to help Manhart influence people deeply and positively. Brian and Jennifer, along with their four children (Joseph, Claire, Luke and Eli), live outside of Lindsay, Texas and only 15 minutes from Camp Kiowa.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I work very hard to use the extraordinary challenges and every struggle to learn, grow as a blessing in our journey. We have learned that they are an important, and necessary, part of deepening our Faith, growing individually, leaning on our family and achieving as a business.

My wife, Jennifer, grew up in a healthy environment being shown how to eliminate risk in her life. She then married the son of a Kansas farmer… One of the riskiest professions you can imagine. My dad’s entire livelihood was dependent on the dark, storm clouds moving in from the west. Five minutes can mean the difference between financial security and overwhelming stress and defeat.

Jennifer and I committed to one another well before our wedding day. We knew there would be challenges, we just didn’t understand the variety and to what degree we would need to work toward overcoming those hurdles. We accepted a path of resistance… Recognizing, we’re not intended to find the “easy” way. We’re intended to find the “right” way. And the right direction for me has been a path with some challenges. It‘s all intended to benefit everyone in long-run.

I enjoy taking risks. Pushing the envelope a bit more each day. Putting myself “out there.” I enjoy experiencing the unique adventure in every person I meet. They’ve done things and been places, experienced things I haven’t. Everyone, age 1 – 111, can teach me something and improve my own quality of life. It‘s invigorating.

It feels like we’re on year 15 of a 20 year, overnight success story. We’re still working every day on how to make everything work. Full time schedules, four kids, serving on the school board, church council, and teaching a class at church. To increase my influence and use my strengths even more, I also accepted a position as the executive director of the foundation at a local community college. I just go where I’m sent, regardless of the degree of challenge. Remaining obedient is key.

Three years into purchasing Lone Oak, we were at the end of a very challenging time period at camp. It was just after the birth of our 3rd child, and I woke up in the middle of the night to dizziness I had never experienced before. I thought I was dying. The room was spinning above me like I’d spent 3 hours, non-stop, on a tilt-a-whirl. I rolled out of bed and found I couldn’t even crawl without falling over. I spent hours in the bathroom getting sick, praying the next time would be the last. I went to the emergency room to find that stress had attacked my body, destroyed a nerve in my inner ear and completed eliminated the hearing in my right ear. It was never to return.

My wife would have enjoyed being more of a stay-at-home mom. Finances wouldn’t allow her to quit her nursing job early on. She’s the most committed person I’ve ever met. She could have left me years ago. Found someone desiring less risk. More financially stable. But she didn’t. She doesn’t. She doesn’t threaten to go. She doesn’t ask me to “change or else.” She doesn’t do the silent treatment. She talks to me. I’m starting to learn to listen. She just keeps praying for the safety and security of our family and for the businesses and the people she knows we need to serve. She is one in 7.7 billion.

Throughout the process of growing the business, one of my sisters, a wonderful wife and mother of two young children, contracted a brain tumor and died 15 months later. I can honestly say she’s taught me more since her death then she did in 37 years of life. Live each day, fully alive. Its what Lisa teaches me each day, and through our campers, every moment they exist at camp.

We’d love to hear more about the organization.
I am most proud of the time and energy we’ve taken to understand “why” we do what WE do. How an organization can remain motivated to operate for any amount of time on a simply growing their finances is a concept I cannot imagine. I’ve got to find a deeper purpose in the time we spend. I have a passion for passions. MY purpose is helping you discover YOUR purpose. What puts you in “the zone?” What are you doing and with whom are you spending time? When do you feel most “at home?”

I consistently encourage our team’s mission, “When people operate within their strengths, their quality of life goes through the roof. They live and breath, fully alive, That’s why we’re here. That’s why each of us exists.”

Twenty-First Century Learning Skills… Confidence, social abilities, communication & problem solving are also part of what we share. The more capable we are in our skills, the better opportunity we have to share who we are, what we do best… Then we never go to work a day in our life.

Everything happens through safe, consistent and real-life challenges and situations. Making your bed, a disagreement in a cabin, activity or activity changes, meal times, evening programs and more…. We’re creating life’s crazy scenarios and intentionally working through how to navigate appropriately through each situation.

Kiowa fosters extremely positive results in people. “Steve Jobs wanted to put a dent in the universe,” says Manhart, “I’m going to do the same.” Author Angela Duckworth describes three areas of professional development, the job, the career and the calling. We develop “callings.” The value of each human being is so great, so deep, so wonderful… I have an obligation to clarify and encourage that in everyone…. Young and old. I want to know we’re fulfilling a much higher calling. The unique purpose we’re here to fulfill. Now THAT’S motivating!

Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
We’ve discovered (through extraordinary amounts of intentional time and conversation) that we are to operate every aspect of our camp through six, vital, core values. We hire and fire, train, discuss, improve and create everything we do through the same value system.

This makes it very easy to know we’re working with the right team. If you can create an environment based strictly on the value system we have in place, you will be successful with us. If you don’t, well, then we’re not the place for you. Our calling, purpose, core values and actions align us with our mission. These things continue to clarify our camp experience to all of the people we serve… Authentic and genuine marketing.

Camp Kiowa Mission
We celebrate every young heart (& we know every heart is young) so they can bravely embrace their own, authentic adventure.

Our Core Values:
#1. We Value Every Soul (MOST IMPORTANTLY!)
Every person has inherent dignity and distinct gifts. We honor each person’s intrinsic worth by helping them uncover their abilities, encouraging their God-given uniqueness, and by celebrating the rare individual they are—no achievements or conformity required. Everyone has significant & extraordinarily value, and we treat them that way.

#2. We Create a Trusting Culture                          
People need security in order to live their authentic identity. With hospitable hearts and stable relationships, we create beautiful, secure (engaging) environments to give everyone permission to be themselves. We commit to trustworthiness so that leaders, kids, and their families feel safe, free, and welcomed.

#3. We Play  (Like a Kid at Heart)
We. Play. Hard. We roll in the dirt. We laugh uninhibited. We dance without fear. We sing ’til our lungs run out. Feeling safe and valued lets us experience the joy of unrestrained fun. We don’t worry about what others think, and we aren’t “too cool.” The coolest thing we do is to delight in wonder, in the joyous encounters that create lifelong friendships.

#4. We Know and Become Ourselves
We can’t learn about ourselves when we are disengaged or trying to impress others. By being playfully unpretentious and removed from the world’s distractions, we create a community where people shed perceived expectations and dive deeper into the core of who they are. We get rid of the excess so people can know and become themselves.

#5. We Lead Courageously
When we embrace their core identity – and maybe get a gentle nudge – you become the fearless leader that impacts the world. We set an example of boldness. We encourage others to take chances. We color outside the lines. We know who we are, and so we courageously pursue who we can become: leaders with relentless spirits who try new things, fight for what’s right, and advocate for others.

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