My First Season

My guest today was kind enough to be one of my first-ever guests on this podcast on March 8, 2021 (over 3 years ago). Back then I stuck to the script, and we only covered her first season, so we are back to do it right! She worked for Club Med from 1989 to 2001 and held many positions such as Beach Team, Hostess, Mini Club, Chief of Mini and Petit Club and in 1998 she went to work in the Miami office alongside Howard McCarley as a Sports Affecteur. Fun Fact: She was the very first Female Animator in Club Med history! She is also the Administrator & Moderator of one of the biggest EXGO Facebook groups, called “Official Club Med EXGO Facebook Group” with 9k members. I can only be talking about the one and only, the pride of Canada, G.A. Robertson!! G.A. worked in Club Med villages such as Playa Blanca, St. Lucia, Sandpiper, Wengen, Cherating, and Copper Mountain, to name a few, and has great stories from all her seasons so you are in for a treat, Seasoners! G.A. details the unfortunate flooding that happened during her third season in Club Med in 1991 in Playa Blanca, but it is a must-hear story. G.A. drops many names from the past during this interview and even talks about the Club Med connection that happened with her last two current jobs. We talk about the Club Med EXGO Facebook group she founded and so much more. Please enjoy this second interview with G.A.! **My First Season podcast has always been ad-free and free to listen to and is available to download on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Samsung Podcasts, Podbean App, Podchaser, Spotify, Amazon Music/Audible, TuneIn + Alexa, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM, Pandora and Listen Notes. And if you like what you hear, please leave a review on Apple podcasts. If you missed G.A.'s first interview three years ago, please click on the link below: G.A. Robertson | My First Season

Greetings, Seasoners! I am delighted to introduce the second installment of our "In Couple" series, where we delve into the captivating narratives of G.O.s or couples who have shared unforgettable seasons. In today's episode, our special guests are a genuine couple whose paths intertwined at Club Med Itaparica in Brazil in December 1990. It was her second season in Club Med and his sixth within the Club Med family. Adding an enchanting twist to their tale, he hails from the United States, while she is Brazilian. What heightens the excitement of this episode is that I had the supreme pleasure of working alongside both of them during my first season at Club Med Turks and Caicos in the summer of 1994. Without further ado, let's extend a warm and enthusiastic welcome to the exceptionally charming duo, Steve and Juca Cohn! This remarkable couple has been happily married for thirty-one years, and they graciously take us back to the inception of their romance. Steve and Juca regale us with stories ranging from their engagement in August of 1991 to their dream wedding at Club Med Punta Cana in October 1992. Steve guides us through the process of Juca obtaining her Green Card, and he shares the incredible surprise he orchestrated in January of 1997 when Juca became an American citizen while she was working at Club Med Copper Mountain and while Steve was stationed at Huatulco. To maintain the element of surprise, I won't divulge any details here, so you'll have to tune in to the interview for the full experience! Please enjoy this heartwarming journey through the decades with Steve and Juca Cohn. **My First Season podcast has always been ad-free and free to listen to and is available to download on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Samsung Podcasts, Podbean App, Podchaser, Spotify, Amazon Music/Audible, TuneIn + Alexa, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM, Pandora and Listen Notes. And if you like what you hear, please leave a review on Apple podcasts. To hear Steve's first interview, please see the link below: Steve Cohn | My First Season

My guest today worked for Club Med from 1987 to 2012. His first season was a bit unusual because he went to Club Med Chamonix as a guest for two weeks but then got hired to be an Entertainer. He was also a Chief of Animation, Chief of Sports, and Chief of Village. Please help me welcome, from Belgium, but now living in Japan, the one and only, Fred Dawance! Fred is the 10th EXCDV to appear on the podcast and I am glad to connect with him finally! Some fun facts about my guest: Fred graduated from Law School with a minor in Philosophy, he climbed the Matterhorn in 2003, he became a proficient magician (cards, comedy, and mentalism), a lifelong Beatles fan, he named his son Lennon and met Sir Paul McCartney in 2005 and after Club Med, he obtained his MBA from the University of Paris! So much of Fred’s time in Club Med is covered in this interview and some highlights are his stint as Chief of Sports aboard the Club Med 2 during the 1996/1997 season, his Chief of Village stage in the Winter of 2001, “Friday Night Fever” in Club Med Bora Bora in 2007/2008 and his many seasons in Japan. Please enjoy this episode with Fred! **My First Season podcast has always been ad-free and free to listen to and is available to download on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Samsung Podcasts, Podbean App, Podchaser, Spotify, Amazon Music/Audible, TuneIn + Alexa, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM, Pandora and Listen Notes. And if you like what you hear, please leave a review on Apple podcasts.

My guest today worked for Club Med from 1999 to 2003. Her first season was at Club Med Copper Mountain as a Boutique G.O. Before Club Med, she attended Arizona State University and obtained a degree in Recreation Management and Tourism. She was part of the ASU Internship Program, and that program helped her land an internship at Copper Mountain. She later became a Snowboard Instructor and worked in Crested Butte three times and one summer season in Cancun in 1999. After Club Med, she obtained a master’s degree and has been teaching for the last twenty years and is currently teaching kindergarten. From Northern California but now living in Colorado, please help me welcome, Megan Demgen! During their teenage years, Megan and her sisters were whisked away by their parents to Club Med resorts in Eleuthera, Huatulco, and Turks and Caicos. Megan shares a Y2K story from her 1999/2000 season (sitting in stairwells?) and she met her future husband that same season. She took a road trip from Club Med Copper Mountain to Crested Butte with EXGO (and MFS guest) Sammy Orodenker while listening to TV theme songs from the 80s! Megan has many more stories to share, so please enjoy this episode! **My First Season podcast has always been ad-free and free to listen to and is available to download on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Samsung Podcasts, Podbean App, Podchaser, Spotify, Amazon Music/Audible, TuneIn + Alexa, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM, Pandora and Listen Notes. And if you like what you hear, please leave a review on Apple podcasts.

My guest today worked for Club Med from 1990 to 1992. Her first season was in Club Med Playa Blanca with CDV Andrea Livingstone, as a G.O. Nurse. She is originally from Queens, NY and now lives in the Sunshine State. She went to Club Med as a GM in Haiti and Copper Mountain in the early 70s. She then went to Club Med Cancun as a GM in 1987 and realized that Club Med employed nurses too. Two years later she got the Club Med magazine in the mail and inside was an article called, “Become a G.O.” and that’s what she did. Please help me welcome, Andrea Chassen! Before Club Med, Andrea attended the University of Buffalo and then obtained a master’s in nursing at NYU. Andrea was a Clinical Specialist at a teaching hospital in Philadelphia and had a month to put everything in order before she left for Club Med after her very positive interview. Andrea also worked at Club Med Punta Cana, Sonora Bay, and Eleuthera. Do you like Club Med nursing stories? Well, Andrea has some! Get ready for scorpion and sea urchin stings and a Chief of Village who did his own stitches! What?! If you were an early 90s G.O. you will love this episode! Please enjoy this episode with Andrea! **My First Season podcast has always been ad-free and free to listen to and is available to download on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Samsung Podcasts, Podbean App, Podchaser, Spotify, Amazon Music/Audible, TuneIn + Alexa, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM, Pandora and Listen Notes. And if you like what you hear, please leave a review on Apple podcasts.

My guest today worked for Club Med from 2009 to 2021. She was born in Italy, has an English Literature degree from SMU, and is currently pursuing her MBA at Bellevue University. Her first season was in Club Med Sandpiper as a Reception and Planning G.O. She held other positions such as Reception Manager and Room Division Manager. I hope you are ready for some funny and interesting stories because this guest has them! From Italy, but now living in Dallas Texas, please help me welcome, Giulia Fitzgerald! Giulia worked in the Club Med resorts of Sandpiper, Turks & Caicos, Cherating, Cervinia, and Napitia in Italy, to name a few. Giulia has a ton of interesting stories to share with us. Stories like scuba diving with Tiger sharks at Club Med Columbus Isle, a rather amusing “monkey” story from Cherating, and a wild Matterhorn ski story when she was in Cervinia, that you have to hear to believe! We engaged in some rapid-fire questions with Giulia as well as go over if she misses anything about Club Med and who she enjoyed working with. Please enjoy this episode with a very entertaining person! **My First Season podcast has always been ad-free and free to listen to and is available to download on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Samsung Podcasts, Podbean App, Podchaser, Spotify, Amazon Music/Audible, TuneIn + Alexa, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM, Pandora and Listen Notes. And if you like what you hear, please leave a review on Apple podcasts.

My guest today worked for Club Med from 2015 to 2019. She started as a Tennis G.O. during her first season in Club Med Punta Cana, but she also was a waterski and Circus G.O. in later seasons. Before Club Med, she graduated from the University of Denver with a Communications and Marketing degree. After Club Med, she attended Barry University in Miami and obtained a master’s degree in Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology and she now has her own business in Utah, called “Sarah Sutin Performance". Everyone, please help me welcome the amazing Sarah Sutin! Sarah went to Club Med Punta Cana as a G.M. with her mother when she was a junior in college, and then went back her senior year. Sarah interviewed in Los Angeles with roughly one hundred other people and did not wait long before she was told she was headed back to Punta Cana, this time as a G.O. From getting lost during arrivals at Punta Cana, to popping blood vessels during the Spanish Web at Turks and Caicos, to being a “towel holder” at Punta Cana foam parties, to Hurricane Irma cutting short her 2017 season at Turks, Sarah shares some of her most memorable stories with us. Sarah also worked in Club Med Cancun in 2016/2017 and helped with the opening of Club Med Miches in 2019. We talk about her life and career now in Parks City, Utah, who she enjoyed working with at Club Med, and what she misses most about Club Med. Please enjoy! **My First Season podcast has always been ad-free and free to listen to and is available to download on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Samsung Podcasts, Podbean App, Podchaser, Spotify, Amazon Music/Audible, TuneIn + Alexa, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM, Pandora and Listen Notes. And if you like what you hear, please leave a review on Apple podcasts. Please check out Sarah's website below: SARAH SUTIN (sarahsutinperformance.com)

Hey Seasoners, welcome back to another episode of the travel and tourism podcast, My First Season. Today’s guest worked for Club Med as a Meetings & Events Manager in 2022 and 2023. Her first season was in Club Med Turks and Caicos and even though she is from Mexico, she only found out about Club Med when she went to France to obtain her MA in French as a foreign language from Université de Nice-Sophia-Antipolis! She also worked at Club Med Charlevoix and Cancun and is here to share her story with us! Please help me welcome, Lili Alferez! Before Lili started working for Club Med, she spent one day as a G.M. in Club Med Chamonix, while she was working in France. It wasn’t until Lili was working in excursions in Cancun, for another company, that she knew she wanted to be a G.O. We cover Lili’s time in the villages she worked at in great detail, especially the village of Charlevoix in Quebec. I have never worked there or visited that resort, so I had many questions about it, and Lili was kind enough to answer my many questions. Lili also shares two stories about special G.M.s that she met while in Club Med. We cover who she liked working with and the things she misses about working at Club Med. Please enjoy! **My First Season podcast has always been ad-free and free to listen to and is available to download on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Samsung Podcasts, Podbean App, Podchaser, Spotify, Amazon Music/Audible, TuneIn + Alexa, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM, Pandora and Listen Notes. And if you like what you hear, please leave a review on Apple podcasts.

I had the pleasure of working with my guest today during the winter season in 1996 at Club Med Columbus Isle. His first season was at Club Med St. Lucia in 1991 where he held several positions such as Mini Club/Kids Club/Landsports & Snorkeling. He then went to Club Med Huatulco as Resp. Snorkeling in 1992 and then took a break to go back to school to earn his degree in Psychology at Chapman University in Orange, California. As a gift to himself for finishing his degree, he went back to Club Med in 1995 at Club Med Turks and Caicos and then left Club Med in 1996. Please help me welcome, from California, Peter Algazi! Peter flew to New York from California for his interview and was the only one to get hired that day from the group interviews. Peter was holding out for a Landsports contract but after eleven months of waiting, decided to take a Mini Club contract when offered. Peter arrived at Club Med St. Lucia on his sister’s birthday, October 19, 1991. That St. Lucia team of October 1991 had quite the talent as it had FIVE future CDVs on it: LouLou, Sofia Anҫã, Gino Andretta, Philippe Fournier, and Ryan Leach. We cover all of Peter’s seasons in detail and you have to hear his “bank deposit” story from Columbus Isle! He also was in a movie called “Bachelor Trip” with my idol, actor Rutger Hauer, and we are going to talk about how the heck that happened. If you are an early 90s G.O., you will love this episode. Please enjoy! **My First Season podcast has always been ad-free and free to listen to and is available to download on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Samsung Podcasts, Podbean App, Podchaser, Spotify, Amazon Music/Audible, TuneIn + Alexa, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM, Pandora and Listen Notes. And if you like what you hear, please leave a review on Apple podcasts.

My guest today only worked one season in Club Med, but it was quite a memorable one. She was working as a Budweiser girl at a golf tournament in Vancouver when a Club Med recruiter approached her and said that she would be a good fit for Club Med. Her first and only season was in Club Med Paradise Island in 2001 as a Bar G.O. with Kevin Batt as the Chief of Village. When 9/11 happened, American Airlines paid for the flights for 500 police officers and 500 firefighters for a week’s vacation at Club Med Paradise Island when my guest was working there. From Vancouver Island but living in Las Vegas for the last twelve years, please help me welcome, Michelle Gervais! Michelle worked ten months in the Bahamas with G.O.s like Gecko, Paula Fishman, Joker, and “Pizza Russ” and has the stories to prove it! Michelle takes us back to that fateful day she was recruited to her first week at Paradise Island and has a great “NSYNC” story that sadly, I had to edit most of! Michelle lets us know who she enjoyed working with, the things she misses the most about Club Med, and why they called her the “Blender Queen”. Michelle even found time to film a Molson Export beer commercial with a few other G.O.s at Paradise Island. We also talked about the “Dos Hombres” Bar Boss competition she entered last year. Please enjoy! **My First Season podcast has always been ad-free and free to listen to and is available to download on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Samsung Podcasts, Podbean App, Podchaser, Spotify, Amazon Music/Audible, TuneIn + Alexa, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM, Pandora and Listen Notes. And if you like what you hear, please leave a review on Apple podcasts.

Today’s esteemed guest has a rich history with Club Med, having been part of the organization from 1993 to 1996. His journey unfolded across various Club Med resorts such as Sandpiper, Eleuthera, Paradise Island, Columbus Isle, and Sonora Bay. Commencing his Club Med adventure as a Boutique G.O. in 1993 at Club Med Sandpiper, we eventually crossed paths at the EXGO Reunion 3 in Club Med Cancun in 2010. Inspired by a co-worker who worked for Club Med in the 70s, he embarked on this unique career path. Originally hailing from Michigan and presently calling Palm Springs home, let’s extend a warm welcome to the delightful Chris Dingman! For early 90s G.O.s, this episode promises a nostalgic journey as Chris shares captivating stories and a treasure trove of memories from that era. Without giving too much away, our conversation touches on a myriad of intriguing topics: Madonna, Dream Sheet, Mike Coltman Dress Codes, Atlantis in Playa Blanca, Corky’s rendition of Crazy by Patsy Cline, visits to the Dentist in San Carlos, the Haunted Village, Olivia, Sober Week/Poached Pears, and much more. Prepare for a laughter-filled exploration of the past as Chris reminisces about the good old days, dropping names and anecdotes that will surely resonate with those who lived through that era. We even attempt to unravel the mystery of why we don’t recall meeting during Chris’s two-week stint at Columbus Isle in 1996! As Chris ascended to the role of Chief of Boutique, he provided unique insights into the behind-the-scenes workings, offering a glimpse into the meticulous training required to run the Club Med boutique as a small business. To all early 90s G.O.s, rejoice, for Chris is here to guide us down memory lane. Join us for an enjoyable time with Chris as we relive the charm and camaraderie of the Club Med days! **My First Season podcast has always been ad-free and free to listen to and is available to download on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Samsung Podcasts, Podbean App, Podchaser, Spotify, Amazon Music/Audible, TuneIn + Alexa, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM, Pandora and Listen Notes. And if you like what you hear, please leave a review on Apple podcasts.

My guest today worked two seasons in Club Med in the late 90s with Kevin Batt as her Chief of Village. Her first season was in Club Med Turks & Caicos in 1997 as a Hostess and then she worked in Club Med Cancun during the 1997/1998 season as Public Relations. Her roommate went to Club Med Playa Blanca on vacation and suggested she try it. She did and went to Turks & Caicos as a G.M. in November of 1996. She has a BA in English and Journalism from Montclair State University, she did ballroom dancing for five years and she is the lead singer of “Rock Head” a New Jersey-based 4-piece bar cover band that covers music from Rock, Disco, the 80s, 90’s, Pop, and Metal. Please help me welcome to My First Season, Christy Nilsen! Christy’s story is unique in that she was not accepted the first time she applied to Club Med. Undeterred, she made a PowerPoint presentation, and along with some pictures, wrote a poem as to why Club Med should hire her and sent it to Kevin Batt. Kevin then called Christy and offered her a contract on the spot. Later in the season, Kevin asked Christy for her help in making a G.O. Handbook for new and current G.O.s. She then went with Kevin to Club Med Cancun and arrived on Halloween, October 31, 1997! We cover both her seasons in detail, delve into what it’s like to be a lead singer in two different rock bands and Christy explains the term “Club Med New Jersey”! Please enjoy this interview with Christy! **My First Season podcast has always been ad-free and free to listen to and is available to download on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Samsung Podcasts, Podbean App, Podchaser, Spotify, Amazon Music/Audible, TuneIn + Alexa, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM, Pandora and Listen Notes. And if you like what you hear, please leave a review on Apple podcasts. Please check out the links below to both of Christy's bands: Mid-Life Crisis: Facebook Rock Head: Facebook

My guest today worked for Club Med from 2013 to 2019 and her first season was in Club Med Sandpiper as a Mini Club G.O. She later became a Costume Designer and worked in Turks and Caicos and Punta Cana. Before Club Med, she studied Art Education at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee where she is from. She was also an extra in various music videos filmed in Nashville and of course, I have to know what that was like! After Club Med, she backpacked through Europe and became a Field Recruiter for Club Med. Please help me welcome Lindsey Hamilton! Lindsey’s first season in 2013 at Sandpiper coincided with a Nike rental village, a Junior Tennis Player tournament, a “fake” G.O. wedding, a Make-A-Wish Foundation fundraiser, and a Rick Springfield rental village! Lindsey also might be only one of a few G.O.s to turn down the opportunity to work in Asia after their first season. Lindsey’s stories range from appearing as an extra in the 2010 movie Country Strong, starring Gwyneth Paltrow to having an incident with six suitcases at Customs at Club Med Turks and Caicos in 2018 and so many more! Lindsey talks about her great friend Chelsea Gibbons, the people she liked working with, and what she misses most about working at Club Med. And a special thanks to Lindsey who, unbeknownst to me, was promoting my podcast to other EXGOs. So, thanks to her and anyone else I do not know of, who is doing the same thing! **My First Season podcast has always been ad-free and free to listen to and is available to download on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Samsung Podcasts, Podbean App, Podchaser, Spotify, Amazon Music/Audible, TuneIn + Alexa, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM, Pandora and Listen Notes. And if you like what you hear, please leave a review on Apple podcasts.

My guest today worked for two seasons in Club Med and his first season was in Club Med Sandpiper in 1993 as a Bar. G.O. Before Club Med, he attended Emory University in Atlanta and has a degree in International Relations and Affairs with a minor in Spanish. He drove from Atlanta to Miami for his interview and was the only one wearing a suit, but he still got the job though! And how about this? This phrase has never been uttered in over 3 years of MFS: After Club Med, he moved to Asia and “taught Spanish to Japanese Salsa dancers”. Hooboy, there has got to be a story there somewhere! From Boston, now living in Key Biscayne, Florida, give it up for Joshua Bernstein! Joshua also worked at Club Med Playa Blanca during the 1994/1995 season with Kenton Smith as Chef de Village. We go through both Joshua’s seasons in Club Med in detail as well as the people he liked working with and we get into that Japanese-salsa-dancer story as well! Joshua also talks about the season he spent with yoga guru Jack England in Club Med Sandpiper and we trade Uncle Larry stories from Club Med Playa Blanca as well! Please enjoy! **My First Season podcast has always been ad-free and free to listen to and is available to download on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Samsung Podcasts, Podbean App, Podchaser, Spotify, Amazon Music/Audible, TuneIn + Alexa, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM, Pandora and Listen Notes. And if you like what you hear, please leave a review on Apple podcasts.

My guest today worked for CM from 1996 to 2008. His first season was in Club Med Copper Mountain with Aureo Stern as a Ski/Snowboard instructor. He was also a Waterski G.O., Ski School Director, and a fellow Chief of Sports. He is from Sydney, Australia, but has been living in my neck of the woods in Chambly, Quebec, for the last 15 years (we will get into how and why he is living here, not to worry!) Fun Fact: He played rugby for the Montreal Irish Rugby Football Club in 2008 with my brother-in-law! What a small world! Please help me welcome, Shannon Brown! Shannon was taking his Level 3 ski instructor exam in Telluride, Colorado when one of his classmates, Angry Sean, told Shannon that he used to work for Club Med, and that sounded good to Shannon! He had his interview in Sydney and was sent to the North American Zone for his very first season. Shannon worked in Club Med Copper Mountain (5x), Crested Butte (4x), Sahoro (4x), Cancun (2x), Sandpiper, and Kani. Shannon met his future wife in Club Med Cancun in 2002 during a Hi-Pot/Key G.O. stage and he explains how he has liked living in Quebec for the last fifteen years. He shares a surfing tale from his season in Club Med Kani in 2007 and lets us know what he misses about Club Med. Please enjoy! **My First Season podcast has always been ad-free and free to listen to and is available to download on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Samsung Podcasts, Podbean App, Podchaser, Spotify, Amazon Music/Audible, TuneIn + Alexa, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM, Pandora and Listen Notes. And if you like what you hear, please leave a review on Apple podcasts.

Greetings Seasoners, today marks a truly extraordinary occasion—it's the Third Anniversary of My First Season! Yes, that very podcast I started in a closet and continue to record within that very same closet, has now reached the grand age of three! Can you believe it?! A sincere thank you to everyone who has been a part of this journey. For such a momentous episode, I knew we needed a special guest. Our paths last crossed a year ago when his episode graced the airwaves in February 2023. With an impressive resume featuring 39 seasons in Club Med villages and 15 years in the Miami CM office, he now holds the esteemed position of Senior Director at UDT (University des Talents), translating to Talent Development, in the Club Med Miami office. Please help me welcome back to My First Season, the remarkable, the legendary, the Ironman, the always-positive, Chris Keeley, AKA, Hammer! He's back as promised, and together we dive into his first season as Chef de Village (CDV) at Club Med Sonora Bay in 1998. Our conversation delves into the multifaceted role of a CDV, exploring the essential qualities required and the positive impact one must strive for when interacting with others. Additionally, we unravel the intricate CDV selection process, reflect on the CDV stage that Hammer experienced, and uncover the unique request he made to HR concerning the G.O.s he desired on his team during his inaugural season as a CDV. In a groundbreaking moment for My First Season, we are thrilled to announce a special guest from that very 1998 Sonora Bay season, none other than Boone, joining Hammer in our conversation! Stay tuned for an enlightening discussion and a celebration of three remarkable years of My First Season! **My First Season podcast has always been ad-free and free to listen to and is available to download on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Samsung Podcasts, Podbean App, Podchaser, Spotify, Amazon Music/Audible, TuneIn + Alexa, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM, Pandora and Listen Notes. And if you like what you hear, please leave a review on Apple podcasts. To hear Hammer's first interview from February 2023, please click on the link below: Chris “Hammer” Keeley | My First Season

My guest today worked for Club Med from 2010 to 2017 and her first season was in Club Med Sandpiper as a Dance Captain/Choreographer. Before Club Med, she attended the University of Akron and studied Dance and Communication. Fun Fact: She also worked at the Beverly Wilshire Four Seasons Hotel, famously seen in the excellent movie Pretty Woman. Aside from Sandpiper, she worked in the Club Med villages of Turks & Caicos, Bali, Yabuli and she was at the opening of Club Med Dong’ao in China, where she met her future husband! Her parents knew former Chief of Village, Gregg Snyder, and that is how she found out about Club Med. Please help me welcome, from Strong Island, New York, Kara Giacalone James! Kara’s Club Med journey began in Club Med Sandpiper in 2010 and ended in that same resort in 2017. Kara shares some of her many stories with us, starting as a choreographer to later pulling double duty as both a choreographer and Entertainment Manager in Yabuli and Dong’ao. Kara shares some of the cross-cultural adjustments she had to make while in China and recounts the story of meeting and falling in love with her husband, who was the Chief of Sports, in Dong’ao. Between contracts, Kara backpacked for eight months in Asia, Europe, the UK, and the United States. After her time in Club Med, Kara went on an eight-month road trip in a Subaru through the States, Mexico, and Canada. While in Club Med, she got certified in scuba and learned how to do the Spanish Web and Lyra. Despite Kara choosing 1984’s Footloose over my beloved Center Stage as the better dance movie (smiley face emoji), Kara was extremely entertaining and knows how to tell a story! Come with us on Kara’s amazing journey and career in Club Med and discover the things she misses the most about Club Med and if she’d do it all over. Please enjoy! **My First Season podcast has always been ad-free and free to listen to and is available to download on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Samsung Podcasts, Podbean App, Podchaser, Spotify, Amazon Music/Audible, TuneIn + Alexa, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM, Pandora and Listen Notes. And if you like what you hear, please leave a review on Apple podcasts. Please click on the link below to see a video of the shows that Kara worked on: KARA GIACALONE | EVENT SHOW PRODUCER REEL | BEHIND THE SCENES (youtube.com)

Today’s guest was name-dropped in an earlier episode. Name-dropped? By whom? Well, her husband Marty of course! He came on the show and told us how they met so we will now get her version of the events! She was interviewed for Club Med by Kenton Smith and her first season was at the opening of Club Med Sandpiper in 1986 as a Baby Club G.O. She also worked at Punta Cana and Ixtapa and was a Mini Club and Aerobics G.O. and this is my favorite part, despite never having worked with kids or taught Aerobics!! While working in the Baby Club, she was a “Puree Food G.O.” and she is here to tell us all what the heck that was! Please help me welcome, from California, Katherine Kotler Glassman! Before Club Med, Katherine attended California State University, Northridge, and was living and working in Switzerland (that’s another story!). Her mother suggested she apply to Club Med, and she did. Katherine takes us through what it was like opening the resort of Sandpiper in 1986 (including a hurricane)! Although Katherine met her future husband Marty in Club Med Punta Cana and unlike most G.O. couples who were “in couple” in the village, they were not an item until they left Club Med many years later. We talk about all of Katherine’s seasons, and we also talk about life after Club Med. Katherine attended culinary school and opened her bake shop called “Sticky Fingers” which she owned and operated for twelve years in Ventura, California. If you were a mid to late 80s G.O., then this episode is for you. Please enjoy! **My First Season podcast has always been ad-free and free to listen to and is available to download on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Samsung Podcasts, Podbean App, Podchaser, Spotify, Amazon Music/Audible, TuneIn + Alexa, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM, Pandora and Listen Notes. And if you like what you hear, please leave a review on Apple podcasts.

My guest today worked for Club Med from 1979 to 2001 (22 years!), but he still went back for the odd season to help until 2012. Before Club Med, he was in the Mexican Navy and was a Combat Diver when he left. He is also a Chef and studied Kitchen Theory and Practice in Spain. In Club Med, he did everything from Traffic, Archery, and Waterskiing to a million other things. We will not condense a career like his to just one hour, so hopefully he will come back for part two in the near future. I had the pleasure of working with him in Club Med Columbus Isle in 1996 where he taught me how to do the “Brouette” in the waterski show! His first season was in Club Med Playa Blanca in 1979 as an Assistant Traffic G.O. Who else could I be talking about other than the one and only, Jose Francisco Elizalde Teyssier, but you probably know him better by one name, please help me welcome to My First Season, Pancho!! Pancho might be one of the only EXGOs on the podcast who was at the openings of three Club Med villages: Ixtapa, Punta Cana, and Sonora Bay. Pancho also worked in the resorts of Djerba La Douce, Skanes, St. Mortiz, and Magic Isle in Haiti, to name a few. He worked for Chiefs of Village such as Philippe Labat, Ben Ducobu, Gerard Barough, Patrick Cormery, Jerome Clavier, Jean Viviani, and Michel Proriol. Because he worked for Club Med for 22 years, and if you worked for Club Med and are listening to this, chances are you were fortunate enough to work with Pancho and got to experience his laugh, infectious energy, and smile. Please enjoy! **My First Season podcast has always been ad-free and free to listen to and is available to download on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Samsung Podcasts, Podbean App, Podchaser, Spotify, Amazon Music/Audible, TuneIn + Alexa, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM, Pandora and Listen Notes. And if you like what you hear, please leave a review at Apple podcasts.

My guest today studied theatre then Communications at California State University, Northridge. He had his interview for Club Med in Los Angeles at Universal Studios and was interviewed by none other than Kenton Smith. His first season was in Club Med Punta Cana in 1987/1988 as DJ. He met his future wife there and has been married for over 30 years now. There is much more to this story on how he met his wife that we will dive into, so buckle up Seasoners! He is also the owner of the “Silent DJ” Southern California’s only locally owned, operated, and interactive silent disco company. What the heck is that?! Well, keep listening Seasoners, and we will tell you! From the Golden State, please help me welcome, Marty Glassman! Marty takes us on a joy ride from his university days to his interview with Club Med and then landing in the Dominican Republic to getting pranked immediately upon his arrival in Punta Cana and buying the wrong size speedo (wrong size?)! Marty goes into detail about how he met his future wife Katherine, and the amazing thing in common they both shared. I ask Marty to go into detail about his company, “Silent DJ” so please check out the link that accompanies this episode. Marty is a very positive, happy, and upbeat guy so I hope you enjoy this episode! **My First Season podcast has always been ad-free and free to listen to and is available to download on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Samsung Podcasts, Podbean App, Podchaser, Spotify, Amazon Music/Audible, TuneIn + Alexa, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM, Pandora and Listen Notes. And if you like what you hear, please leave a review at Apple podcasts. Please check out the link to "Silent DJ" below: The Silent DJ: SoCal's ORIGINAL Silent Disco Company!

Happy New Year, Seasoners! Get ready for an exciting 2024 as we bring you more incredible content! Today’s guest has been on our radar for over a year and despite a missed message, we’re thrilled to finally connect with her! From 2015 to 2022, she played various roles at Club Med, starting as a Reception G.O. in Club Med Cancun and eventually becoming a Resort Manager from March 2019 to September 2021. Later, she took on the role of Public Relations & Corporate Social Responsibility Manager for North America and the Caribbean. Who is this mystery guest? Well, it’s the one and truly only, Sophia Lykke! Fun fact: Sophia’s mother was a Traffic and Planning G.O. in the 80s! Sophia graduated magna cum laude from UCLA with a degree in International Development Studies with a minor in Global Studies. Before her stint as a Resort Manager, she served as a Supervisor and Resident Manager for the Exclusive Collection in the French Alps at Club Med Valmorel and Val-d’isere. Sophia shares her captivating journey, including insights into the rigorous CDV selection process. She recounts the unforgettable night she was named Chef de Village in Club Med Punta Cana in March 2019, coinciding with International Women’s Day, where her mother was secretly flown in for the announcement! Taking the reins as General Manager at Club Med Ixtapa in 2019, Sophia navigated unprecedented challenges in June 2020 when she was tasked with reopening Sandpiper, the first Club Med resort outside of China post the COVID-19 outbreak. She and her G.O. team successfully implemented the “Club Med Safe Together” protocols, earning the distinction of passing the first POSI (Prevention of Infectious Disease) audit in the world. Throughout the episode, Sophia shares insights into her mentors, and collaborations, and reflects on what she misses most about her Club Med experience. Join us for this super-sized episode with an exceptional and talented individual. Enjoy! **My First Season podcast has always been ad-free and free to listen to and is available to download on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Samsung Podcasts, Podbean App, Podchaser, Spotify, Amazon Music/Audible, TuneIn + Alexa, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM, Pandora and Listen Notes. And if you like what you hear, please leave a review on Apple podcasts.

My guest today is from Ontario, Canada and her first season was in Club Med Turks & Caicos during the 1996/1997 season as a Boutique G.O. Before working for Club Med, she was a G.M and went to Club Med Playa Blanca in 1989 and then went to Turks each year from 1989 until she was hired in 1996. So, you could say she knew that village very well! She worked for CM from 1996 to 2000 in such villages as Punta Cana, Sonora Bay, Eleuthera, Cancun, and Coral Beach in Israel. She worked her way up to Chief of Boutique eventually and worked for CDVs such as Kevin Batt, Hammer, and Pierre Letellier Gagnon, to name a few. Please help me welcome, just 15 minutes from Niagara Falls, Jeanette Arbour!! Fun Fact: Jeanette might be the only EXGO I know of to have had their first season in Club Med Turks & Caicos and her last season in Club Med Coral Beach…the same as yours truly! Jeanette first heard about Club Med from a high school friend of hers who showed her the brochure. During her last vacation as a G.M. in Turks, she approached the CDV Kevin Batt and asked for a job and Jeanette was placed in the Boutique. Jeanette shares a Christmas story from her season in Eleuthera where a plane was chartered to Nassau so they could buy 150 gifts for the kids of the village during Christmas week. Another Christmas memory comes from Jeanette’s season in Cancun in 1999/2000, where Hammer somehow found pine trees in Cancun at Christmastime! Another story Jeanette shares is from her season in Punta Cana in 1998 where the village was bought out by hairdressers. She spent the entire week being an “updo model” because she had the longest hair in the village and did not even get her hair cut that week! We share fond memories of our time spent in Israel and the name “Mark Vanderhoef” came up a lot during this interview! Please enjoy this interview with Jeanette! **My First Season podcast has always been ad-free and free to listen to and is available to download on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Samsung Podcasts, Podbean App, Podchaser, Spotify, Amazon Music/Audible, TuneIn + Alexa, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM, Pandora and Listen Notes. And if you like what you hear, please leave a review on Apple podcasts.

I had the pleasure of working with my guest today twice at Columbus Isle in 1998 and 2000. She was a G.M. three times before she was a G.O. and her first season was in Club Med Turks & Caicos in 1997 as a Scuba Instructor. She became a Scuba Instructor to conquer her fear of the ocean and sharks after seeing the movie “Jaws”. She saw her first shark during her first season and conquered that fear! She flew from Canada on her own dime to her interview in Los Angeles, which Kevin Batt was hosting. She worked for Club Med from 1997 to 2001 and since 2007, she has worked for Parks Canada in the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve. Please help me welcome, from British Columbia, Crystal Bolduc!! Crystal worked three times in Turks and Caicos and twice in Columbus Isle and is kind enough to share her stories with us. Stories like the “washing machine” in Turks, how a frog got into her scuba tank one day, a frisky JoJo story, scuba pranks, and getting her 1000th dive in Club Med. Club Med Columbus Isle was Crystal's favorite village and we both enjoyed working with Jean-Paul Morales who was the Scuba Chief there. Crystal also lets us know what it’s like seeing a school of Hammerhead sharks swim by you. We end the interview with the things Crystal misses the most about having worked for Club Med and if she would have done anything differently. Please enjoy this interview with a very charming Canadian! **My First Season podcast has always been ad-free and free to listen to and is available to download on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Samsung Podcasts, Podbean App, Podchaser, Spotify, Amazon Music/Audible, TuneIn + Alexa, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM, Pandora and Listen Notes. And if you like what you hear, please leave a review at Apple podcasts.

My guest today worked for Club Med from 2011 to 2018. Her first season was in Club Med Cancun as a Salsa Instructor, but then later switched to becoming a Circus G.O. during that same season. So that means she can dance AND Fly! She is From Mexico and studied TV Production at university. She has been living in New South Wales in Australia for the last 4 years and you know how much I love Australia, so we’ll talk a bit about that too! Please help me welcome, the amazing, Marifer Calderon! Marifer worked in the Club Med Resorts of Ixtapa, Turks and Caicos, Phuket, Ria Bintan, and Cherating. A former colleague of hers in television production went to work for Club Med and suggested she give it a try. Some highlights of Marifer’s interview are experiencing a wardrobe malfunction during the Music Factory show in Cancun, haggling with Tuk-Tuk drivers in Thailand, planning an event at the French embassy in Kuala Lumpur, and squaring off against monkeys during a fruit passage in Cherating! Marifer takes us on her Club Med journey in 2011 starting as a salsa instructor to being a Chief of Animation/Potential CDV during her last season in 2017. We also talk about what it’s like moving from Mexico to Australia and the culture shock that comes with that. We end the interview by talking about who she liked working with, her three favorite Crazy Signs, and the things she misses the most about Club Med. Please enjoy this interview with a very charming person! **My First Season podcast has always been ad-free and free to listen to and is available to download on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Samsung Podcasts, Podbean App, Podchaser, Spotify, Amazon Music/Audible, TuneIn + Alexa, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM, Pandora and Listen Notes. And if you like what you hear, please leave a review at Apple podcasts.

This episode is dedicated to my ENGL 255 course in English Literature for Fall 2023 at Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec, entitled “Video Games and/as Literature”, under the guidance of Dr. Kelsey Blair. The culmination of this creative final project involves three distinct interviews that delve into the ongoing debate between ludology and narratology and the exploration of the theme of identity in video games. Our diverse panel of guests includes Sarah Loubiri, a full-time employee and part-time Art History student at Concordia University, who has been an avid gamer since 1990. Also joining us is “Krasnog”, a native of Seattle, Washington, and a Twitch streamer with a gaming journey dating back to 1999. Notably, Krasnog is also a Marine veteran, adding a unique perspective to our discussion about identity. Rounding out our trio is Dr. Pippin Barr, a distinguished figure in video games. He serves as an educator, critic, and associate professor, and is currently the Chair of the Department of Design and Computation Arts at Concordia University. Dr. Barr’s extensive contributions to the world of video games include the creation of over 80 games since 2011. His collaborative podcast with David Wolinksi, titled Game Thing, explores video games through an audiobook club format. Additionally, his recent book with the MIT Press, The Stuff Games Are Made Of, offers a comprehensive breakdown of game design, exploring aspects such as computation, graphics, cinema, time, and more. Tune in as we engage in insightful conversations with these remarkable guests! **My First Season podcast has always been ad-free and free to listen to and is available to download on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Samsung Podcasts, Podbean App, Podchaser, Spotify, Amazon Music/Audible, TuneIn + Alexa, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM, Pandora and Listen Notes. Please visit Dr. Pippin Barr's website at: https://pippinbarr.com/ Please check out Krasnog's Twitch stream and give him a follow!: https://www.twitch.tv/krasnog

I had the pleasure of working with my guest today during the 2004/2005 dream-team season with Hendel Duplessy in Club Med Cancun and he is the 11th guest from that season to be on the podcast. His first season was in Club Med Cancun in 2003 as a Snorkeling, Sailing, and Windsurfing G.O. He is from Virginia but has been living in beautiful Australia since 2006. Before Club Med, he went to the University of Colorado and studied Linguistics & French. He speaks twelve languages and also attended the University of Melbourne for Primary Education and is now a teacher. Please help me give a very warm welcome to Joseph Ramsey!! Joseph visited Club Med Eleuthera at the age of nine, and later, at thirteen, he became a teen club member during his vacation at Club Med Cancun. Joseph grew up sailing at Smith Mountain Lake, in the Roanoke Region of Virginia. He worked for Club Med from 2003 to 2005 in Cancun, Ixtapa and Sandpiper. We of course reminisce about our time working together in Club Med Cancun during the 2004/2005 season and all the fun we had at the beach. I ask Joseph what it’s like being a teacher and teaching 5-13-year-olds and also if he fully understands the Aussie language now (after seventeen years there, he is still discovering new words!). Please enjoy this interview with a very entertaining young man! **My First Season podcast has always been ad-free and free to listen to and is available to download on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Samsung Podcasts, Podbean App, Podchaser, Spotify, Amazon Music/Audible, TuneIn + Alexa, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM, Pandora and Listen Notes. And if you like what you hear, please leave a review on Apple podcasts.

My guest today worked for CM from 1994 to 2006. Her first season was in Club Med Sandpiper as an Excursion G.O. She held other positions such as Reception, Ski Instructor, IGO Trainer, and Recruitment and Affectations. My trilingual guest grew up in Florence, Italy, and has a bachelor’s degree in Italian Renaissance Art History from Harvard University. She now lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts and she is here to regale us with her many CM stories. Who is this Renaissance woman? Well, it is the one and only, Shehime Arshad! Shehime worked in the Club Med villages of Sandpiper, Copper Mountain (5x), Paradise Island, and Crested Butte (4x). I hope you like funny stories because Shehime has them! Some of the stories are duct-taping Eric Goldberg to the entrance of restaurant (with a ferret no less!) in Copper, being stranded her first season on the road with eleven French lawyers, epic prank wars with the Four Horsemen of Paradise Island in 2002, to quite possibly being the only woman ever to turn down five-time Olympic medalist Alberto “Tomba la Bomba” Tomba when she was at Copper Mountain in 1996. Trust me, you need to listen to this interview! Shehime worked with CDVs Howard McCarley, Jean-Pierre Grand, Aureo Stern, Angie Boucher, and Ryan Leach, to name a few. Shehime also talks a little about her move to the offices in Miami when she was in Recruitment and Affectations in 2005. If you were an early 90s G.O., you will love this episode with Shehime! **My First Season podcast has always been ad-free and free to listen to and is available to download on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Samsung Podcasts, Podbean App, Podchaser, Spotify, Amazon Music/Audible, TuneIn + Alexa, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM, Pandora and Listen Notes. And if you like what you hear, please leave a review on Apple podcasts.

My guest today went to Club Med St. Lucia as a teenager and thought that G.O.’s had the coolest job of anyone and that was his first contact with Club Med. He studied at Ithaca College and got certified as an instructor at Pro Dive in Ft. Lauderdale. An EXGO told him about Club Med, and he applied. He had a phone interview with Club Med, and they gave him all of one hour to decide! I would have needed only 30 seconds to decide, but that’s me! His first season was in Club Med Columbus Isle in 1996 as a Scuba Instructor, and he might be the only EXGO that I know of, who arrived on Christmas Day! Yes, he arrived on December 25, 1996! He then worked in Club Med Turks & Caicos three times (1997/1998/1999). He of course met his future wife in Turks and suggested to her father that they take the resort course with him, and the rest is history. Please help me welcome, from the Sunshine State, Jordan “Gooch” Gross! Gooch worked in two of my favorite villages, so we had a lot to talk about. The CDVs for his three seasons at Turks were Kevin Batt, LouLou, and MoMo. We cover many stories from these three seasons, including the one where Gooch saw his future wife at an arrival in Turks. We end the interview with some shout-outs, the things he misses the most about Club Med, and uncovering what a “Scuba Alarm Clock” is. Please enjoy your time with Gooch! **My First Season podcast has always been ad-free and free to listen to and is available to download on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Samsung Podcasts, Podbean App, Podchaser, Spotify, Amazon Music/Audible, TuneIn + Alexa, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM, Pandora and Listen Notes. And if you like what you hear, please leave a review at Apple podcasts.

My guest today is so far only the second Gestionnaire to appear on the My First Season podcast. He went to Club Med three times as a G.M. in the late 80s to Martinique, La Caravelle, and St. Lucia and that lit the spark for him to apply. He worked for Club Med from 1988 to 2000 and his first season was in Club Med Playa Blanca as a Cashier. He has a degree in Marketing from Fordham University, and he met his future wife in 1993 in Club Med Huatulco and has been married 27 years now. From New York, please help me welcome, Kevin Klein! Kevin worked in villages such as Sonora Bay, Moorea, Phuket, Zinal, and Bali, to name but a few. Despite his Marketing background, Kevin did not want to work in the office, but on the beach or doing Landsports! But alas, some do not get their first choice, so from cashier, he went to Aide Gestion, Gestion, and one season as a Personnel Manager. He worked with a wide array of Managers such as Denis Amsellem, Lefis, Arlette Gilles, and previous MFS guests, Mike Coltman, Howard McCarley, and Carlos Castro. Since I love a good “In Couple” story, Kevin shares the story of how he met his future wife, the very funny proposal story that comes with it, and caps it off by getting married in a three hundred and fifty-year-old Mexican church! During his first season in Playa Blanca in 1988, Kevin helped Bob Christians set up the trapeze rig! We end the interview with Kevin telling us who he enjoyed working with and the many, many recurring dreams he still has to this day about Club Med. Enjoy! **My First Season podcast has always been ad-free and free to listen to and is available to download on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Samsung Podcasts, Podbean App, Podchaser, Spotify, Amazon Music/Audible, TuneIn + Alexa, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM, Pandora and Listen Notes. And if you like what you hear, please leave a review on Apple podcasts.

My guest today worked for Club Med in 1989 in St. Lucia and Cancun as an Excursions G.O. We do not get many Excursion G.O.s on this podcast, so I am thrilled she agreed to come on and share her story. When she was in college, she worked at an archeological Museum, which helped with the excursions to the Mayan ruins in Mexico. From the city of Brotherly Love, please help me welcome, Rose Torelli! Before Club Med, Rose learned French in high school and visited Quebec and France. In her second semester in her junior year of college, Rose spent that time abroad in Paris and stayed with a French family. Prior to Club Med, Rose worked in New York City in PR in the fashion industry for Pierre Cardin, when she applied to Club Med at twenty-three years old. Rose details the excursions that both St. Lucia and Cancun offered in 1989. As much as I enjoy it when things go as planned, I asked Rose if she ever had an excursion go awry and one did, while she was on a snorkeling trip to Cozumel. As an Excursion G.O., they are not often in the village, but rest assured, she still did her share of Crazy Signs and shows! Rose also lets us know why her favorite excursion was the one to Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and she explains the meaning behind the G.O. t-shirt, “Cancun II- Better Than Never!”. Rose took what she learned in Club Med when she later worked for an International Marketing Manager in a French-owned company and handled relations with affiliates all over the world. Please enjoy this episode with Rose! **My First Season podcast has always been ad-free and free to listen to and is available to download on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Samsung Podcasts, Podbean App, Podchaser, Spotify, Amazon Music/Audible, TuneIn + Alexa, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM, Pandora and Listen Notes. And if you like what you hear, please leave a review at Apple podcasts.

My guest today worked for Club Med from 1996 to 2001. His first season was in Club Med Punta Cana in 1996 as a Set Designer. He just might be the only set designer in Club Med that I have encountered who actually has a degree in Set Design from the University of Arizona. Around 1999, he helped form “The A Team”, in which my guest and a few others would travel from village to village evaluating the entertainment teams. I was working in Asia when this was going on and never had heard of it before now, so I had a few questions about that. We will also talk about how he helped design Sharkie’s in Turks in 1997 and also helped design the Circus show, “Circus Nightmares & Children’s Dreams”. He is now a college professor and has been living a very nomadic life for the last 10 years. Please help me welcome, from around the world, the one and only, Rapp! Rapp wanted to work and travel so he bought a book about working abroad and applied to Club Med. He had a phone interview and was sent to Punta Cana which turned out to be Kevin Batt’s first season as CDV. Rapp also worked in the villages of Cherating and Ria Bintan in Asia. When he needed supplies for Bintan, he had to cross the Strait of Malacca in a tiny speedboat dodging tankers and waves just to get fabric! Rapp helped with the reopening of Punta Cana in 2000 and Crested Butte in 2001. He was at the opening of Club Med Varadero and tells us about that experience and what it was like buying black-market staples in Cuba! Please enjoy this episode with Rapp! **My First Season podcast has always been ad-free and free to listen to and is available to download on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Samsung Podcasts, Podbean App, Podchaser, Spotify, Amazon Music/Audible, TuneIn + Alexa, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM, Pandora and Listen Notes. And if you like what you hear, please leave a review at Apple podcasts.

My guest’s name has come up before on this podcast, so it’s nice to finally sit down and talk to him. He worked for Club Med from 2013 to April of 2023 and his first season was in Club Med Sandpiper as Teen Club Manager. Before Club Med, he was working for Disney Cruises and before that, he was a teacher! He was also a Sports and Animation Manager at Club Med and he helped create a new position in 2018 at Columbus Isle called “Chief Happiness Manager” and if you know me, you know that I need to know all about that! From St. Louis, please help me welcome, the one and only, Lance Weinhardt! Lance might be the only G.O. to do a Skype interview with Club Med while dressed in a white tuxedo aboard a Disney cruise ship and then showing up to his first season in Sandpiper wearing a suit (no more spoilers)! Lance also worked in the villages of Turks & Caicos, Sahoro, Club Med 2, and Kabira. He has a story from his first season that I found so incredible, that I am not even going to hint at it here, you will just have to listen and find out (Okay, one hint: The Miami Dolphins)! Trust me, he is the only G.O. that I know that ever did this! Lance worked five times with CDV Julien Lettraz and he also worked with Jenny Lee, Pierre Jean, Shira Ben-Sefer, and David Meyer. Please enjoy this episode with Lance! **My First Season podcast has always been ad-free and free to listen to and is available to download on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Samsung Podcasts, Podbean App, Podchaser, Spotify, Amazon Music/Audible, TuneIn + Alexa, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM, Pandora and Listen Notes. And if you like what you hear, please leave a review on Apple podcasts.

My guest today worked for Club Med from 1987 to 1989. Her first season was in Club Med Martinique in 1987 as an Assistant Choreographer. She worked in Copper Mountain with my first CDV, Jean-Pierre Grand, and Arziv and Roi Soleil in Switzerland. For the last 21 years, she has owned a dance studio called “Real Dance” and we talked about that as well. We have never met, but she came highly recommended by a former CDV of mine and a former guest on this podcast. It turns out, she went to Turks and Caicos as a G.M. in 1985 where she met two of my favorite people, Angie Boucher and Hansel Moss. Angie was having her first season as a Hostess and she suggested that my guest try it! After her first season, she became a Chief of Animation and Choreographer in all her subsequent seasons. She met her future husband (who was Chief of Mini Club) in Club Med Copper Mountain, and they have been married for 32 years now. Who is this mystery guest? From Brooklyn, New York, and now living in the Sunshine State, please help me welcome, Suzanne DiVasto Citere! Suzanne takes us through all four of her seasons and despite hating winter like yours truly, she still somehow wound up in two different ski villages! We talk about Suzanne’s love of dance and if she thinks the 2000 movie “Center Stage” is the best dance movie of all time (Spoiler alert, she does not)! Suzanne is quite the storyteller with a vivid memory, so you will not want to miss this one. She has a pretty big claim to fame concerning the LipSync Show that she shares with us. Please enjoy this episode with Suzanne! **My First Season podcast has always been ad-free and free to listen to and is available to download on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Samsung Podcasts, Podbean App, Podchaser, Spotify, Amazon Music/Audible, TuneIn + Alexa, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM, Pandora and Listen Notes. And if you like what you hear, please leave a review on Apple podcasts.

I had the pleasure of working with my guest today during an amazing time in Club Med Playa Blanca during the 1996/1997 season. I then followed him and a few others after that season to Club Med Otranto during the summer of 1997, where he was my Chief of Sports. His first season was in Club Med Cefalu in 1992 as a Tennis G.O. Altogether he worked for Club Med from 1992 to 2001 in such places as Paradise Island, La Plagne, Metaponto, Haiti, Hammamet, and Ibiza, just to name a few. Please help me welcome, from Florence, Italy, Filippo Felloni, AKA, "Pippo"! A family member was working as a nurse in Club Med and thought Filippo would be a perfect fit, and the rest is history. Filippo worked in about 14 different villages in countries such as Italy, the Bahamas, France, Haiti, Mexico, Switzerland, Tunisia, Spain, and Indonesia. Along the way, he worked for Chiefs of Village Danny Stabielli, Lionel Benzoni, Dario Tognelli, Rico Paoletti, LouLou, Eric Peyronnet, Jimmy Chicheportiche, and Thierry Buche. After he left Club Med, Filippo stayed in the hospitality and tourism industry and is currently the General Manager of the 4-star hotel, Lungarno Vespucci 50 in Florence, Italy. Because Filippo and I worked two seasons together back-to-back in Playa Blanca and then Otranto in 1997, we talk about our fond, shared memories of the two villages. Filippo worked in some big villages such as Metaponto and Kamarina and I asked him while he was in Metaponto in 1995/1996, if they were doing “Baby Solo” there at the time. They were, and no spoilers, but you will have to listen to this interview to find out what a “Baby Solo” was (yikes)!! **My First Season podcast has always been ad-free and free to listen to and is available to download on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Samsung Podcasts, Podbean App, Podchaser, Spotify, Amazon Music/Audible, TuneIn + Alexa, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM, Pandora and Listen Notes. And if you like what you hear, please leave a review at Apple podcasts.

My guest today worked for Club Med from 1994 to 1995 in St. Lucia, Turks & Caicos, Paradise Island, and Playa Blanca. He met his future wife in Playa Blanca, and they have been married since 1996 and have 3 wonderful children. His first season was in Club Med St. Lucia as a Golf G.O. Please help me welcome, from beautiful Bozeman, Montana and now living in Carlsbad, California, Jason Stewart! Get this: Jason went to high school with my first-ever roommate in Club Med, and this G.O. is the one who got Jason the job at Club Med! The golf G.O. in St. Lucia had to leave, so this G.O. called Jason up and asked him if he wanted the position. Jason accepted, and the rest is history. Since I love hearing stories about G.O.s meeting, falling in love, and getting married, I asked Jason to go into detail on this story and he delivers! Jason shares an amazing celebrity encounter story from Paradise Island in 1994 with someone from the cast of ABC's “Growing Pains” and we talk about how Jason was briefly in Turks & Caicos during my first season in 1994, but we do not remember each other! At Turks, we both had the distinction of filling in for a certain God-like Landsports G.O. as “Rocky” in the “Rocky Horror Picture Show” and talk about that experience. And because Jason was a golf G.O., we geek out a little over the best golf movie ever made (in my opinion), the 1980s “Caddyshack”. Jason shares a very special story about choreographer Jonathan Rodriguez (RIP), that you will want to hear, concerning Jason’s wedding. I hope you enjoy this episode and walk down memory lane with us! **My First Season podcast has always been ad-free and free to listen to and is available to download on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Samsung Podcasts, Podbean App, Podchaser, Spotify, Amazon Music/Audible, TuneIn + Alexa, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM, Pandora and Listen Notes. And if you like what you hear, please leave a review at Apple podcasts.

My guest today worked for Club Med from 1990 to 1993. His first season was in Club Med Paradise Island as a DJ. He was working for Club Med for, get this, credit! Yes, he was part of the Arizona State University internship program, where he graduated with a degree in International Tourism and Resort Management. Please help me welcome, from Boise, Idaho, Kris Robinson! While he was at ASU, Kris would see future 3x Masters champion, Phil Mickelson, on the golf course! Kris was President of the ASU International Tourism Student Association, and he initially did not want to go to the Club Med recruitment meeting when they came to ASU. It was only at the urging of his favorite professor that he agreed to attend. Kris was swayed by the Club Med presentation, in which 450 students applied and only 26 were chosen (Kris being one of them), and the rest is history. Kris worked in villages such as Eleuthera, Copper Mountain, Cancun, and Punta Cana. He did everything from DJ, Sailing, Ski Instructor, Bartender, Snorkeling/Picnic, and Landsports. He has very vivid memories of his first season in Paradise Island with CDV Fred Leroux and it was Kevin Batt’s first season as Chief of Sports. He went to his first season as a DJ, but Kevin wanted him on the sports team, so he did Sailing and also Snorkeling/Picnic that season. Kris lived in Greyleath, so of course I ask him about Paradise Island ghost stories, and he delivers! A natural storyteller, Kris has stories from all his seasons, so if you were an early 90s G.O., this episode is for you. Please enjoy! **My First Season podcast has always been ad-free and free to listen to and is available to download on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Samsung Podcasts, Podbean App, Podchaser, Spotify, Amazon Music/Audible, TuneIn + Alexa, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM, Pandora and Listen Notes. And if you like what you hear, please leave a review at Apple podcasts.

Mon invitée d'aujourd'hui est la première EXGO que j'ai interviewée qui a une page Wikipédia! Elle est chanteuse, mannequin, instructrice de yoga, enseignante et joue également du piano. Elle a travaillé pour le Club Med de 2015 à 2021 dans des villages tels que Turks et Caicos, Kani, Columbus Isle, Miches et Charlevoix. Sa première saison a été au Club Med Turks and Caicos en tant que sauveteuse. S'il vous plaît, aidez-moi à accueillir de Montréal, l'étonnante et talentueuse Sophie Vaillancourt! Avant le Club Med, Sophie a participé à l'émission télévisée Star Académie au Québec en 2009, puis à la version canadienne de Deal or No Deal, Le Banqier, en 2009 et 2010. J'aurais pensé que Sophie avait commencé à chanter très jeune, mais j'ai été très surprise d'apprendre qu'elle n'avait commencé à chanter sur un micro qu'à l'âge de quatorze ans, lorsqu'elle est allée au Club Med Varadero en tant que G.M. avec sa famille! Comme moi, Sophie a travaillé trois fois au Columbus Isle mais contrairement à moi, et entre les saisons du Columbus Isle, elle est partie en Inde pour obtenir sa certification en yoga! Puis en 2018, elle s'est rendue à Bali pour une méditation de dix jours en silence. Après sa dernière saison à Columbus en 2019, elle est partie en Thaïlande pour un cours de yoga méditation avancé! Comme si cela ne suffisait pas, après le Club Med en 2011, elle a terminé son baccalauréat à l'Université de Montréal en éducation préscolaire et primaire et poursuit actuellement une maîtrise (je n'ai rien fait de ma vie!). Sophie est aussi une artiste du Club Med, donc si vous êtes chanceux, vous aurez l'occasion de la voir et d'entendre sa belle voix en personne. Profitez de cette entrevue avec Sophie Vaillancourt! **Le podcast My First Season a toujours été gratuit et sans publicité et peut être téléchargé sur: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Samsung Podcasts, Podbean App, Podchaser, Spotify, Amazon Music/Audible, TuneIn + Alexa, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM, Pandora et Listen Notes. Et si vous aimez ce que vous entendez, laissez un commentaire sur Apple Podcasts. Découvrez sa musique sur Spotify: Sophie Vaillancourt | Spotify Et Instagram: Sophie Vaillancourt (@sophievaillancourtyoga) • Instagram photos and videos Pour écouter son duo avec Céline Dion sur Star Académie, rendez-vous au point 8:30: Star Académie Medley 2009 - YouTube

My guest today is the first EXGO I have interviewed that has a Wikipedia page! She is a singer, model, yoga instructor, and teacher and she also plays the piano. She worked for Club Med from 2015 to 2021 in such villages as Turks and Caicos, Kani, Columbus Isle, Miches, and Charlevoix. Her first season was in Club Med Turks and Caicos as a Lifeguard. Please help me welcome from Montreal, the amazing and talented, Sophie Vaillancourt! Before Club Med, Sophie was on the Canadian singing competition TV show, Star Académie in Quebec in 2009, and then she was on the Canadian version of Deal or No Deal called Le Banqier in 2009 and 2010. I would have thought Sophie started singing at a very young age, but I was very surprised to find out that she only started singing on a microphone when she was fourteen years old when she went to Club Med Varadero as a G.M. with her family! Like me, Sophie worked at Columbus Isle three times but unlike me, and in between seasons of Columbus Isle, she went to India to get her yoga certification! Then in 2018, she traveled to Bali for a ten-day meditation in silence. After her last season in Columbus in 2019, she went to Thailand for an advanced yoga meditation course! If that wasn’t enough, after Club Med in 2011, she finished her bachelor’s degree at the University of Montreal in Preschool and Primary Education and is currently pursuing a master’s degree (I have done nothing with my life!). Sophie is also a Club Med Artist, so if you are lucky, you will get to see her and hear her beautiful voice in person. I asked her if she would not mind singing a few bars of a song I love, and she kindly agreed, so make sure you listen to the whole interview!! Please enjoy this interview with Sophie Vaillancourt!! **My First Season podcast has always been ad-free and free to listen to and is available to download on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Samsung Podcasts, Podbean App, Podchaser, Spotify, Amazon Music/Audible, TuneIn + Alexa, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM, Pandora and Listen Notes. And if you like what you hear, please leave a review at Apple podcasts. Please check out Sophie's music on Spotify: Sophie Vaillancourt | Spotify And her Instagram: Sophie Vaillancourt (@sophievaillancourtyoga) • Instagram photos and videos And if you want to see her duet with Celine Dion on Star Académie, it’s at the 8:30 mark: Star Académie Medley 2009 - YouTube

My guest today hails from Red Bluff, California, and worked for Club Med from 2002 to 2008 and then returned from 2010 to 2012. His first season was in Club Med Sandpiper as a Mini Club G.O. He was also a Ski Instructor, Landsports, Chief of Sailing, and Chief of Sports. Please help me welcome, Brian Tranbarger! Brian worked with CDVs such as Hammer, Gus, Joey Templin, Ryan Leach, Hendel, and Alessandro Cordogli (RIP), to name just a few. Before Club Med, Brian studied Kinesiology and Teacher Education, did the Hammer Throw, and was a PE teacher. One of his roommates at Chico State went to Club Med with his father on vacation and told Brian how great it was. Brian applied, drove four hours to San Francisco to meet the Club Med recruiter, and then did Country Swing for his interview and the rest is history! Brian’s first season in Sandpiper had quite the talent: Nicole Cooper, Boone, Trevor Rae, Arano, Adam Macy, Jennifer Lopez, James Martin, JP Delay, JK, Vlad Mayllen, David Meyer, and Bruno Santos were just some of the names that were on the Sandpiper team of 2002. Brian also worked in Crested Butte, Turks and Caicos, Ixtapa, Cancun, and Columbus Isle and we talk about each of these seasons and the many stories that came with working with a great bunch of people. We review his favorite Crazy Signs, the three things he misses the most about Club Med, and if he would do anything different. Please enjoy this episode with Brian! **My First Season podcast has always been ad-free and free to listen to and is available to download on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Samsung Podcasts, Podbean App, Podchaser, Spotify, Amazon Music/Audible, TuneIn + Alexa, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM, Pandora and Listen Notes. And if you like what you hear, please leave a review at Apple podcasts.

I never worked with my guest today, but we did meet at the EXGO Reunion in Cancun in 2010. He worked for Club Med from March 1995 to January 2002 and then went back from 2010 to 2013. His first season was in Club Med Turks and Caicos in 1995 as Landsports. He’s a graduate of Auburn University and has called eight countries and twenty cities home over the past twenty-six years. Please help me welcome, from Atlanta, Georgia, Scott Duncan, AKA, Scotty D! A friend of Scott’s had been to Club Med on vacation and told him all about it. Scott applied and drove to Club Med Sandpiper from Georgia, for his interview. In addition to landsports, Scott also worked as a Waterski G.O. and in Sandpiper from 2010-2013 he was in Sales. He has worked with CDVs such as Gregg Snyder, Howard McCarley, Stephan Roeina, Toutoune, Kevin Batt, Hammer, Houria Osmani, and Lionel Pirotte. My favorite story of his would be when he was thrown into water aerobics during his first season in Turks without ever having taught it or seen it! After Club Med, Scott worked for The Peninsula Hotel in NYC, the Ritz Carlton in Las Vegas, and the Four Seasons Resorts in the Maldives. Scott shares an amazing story where he met a member of “Canadian Royalty” (no spoilers, sorry!) when he was working for one of those hotels. We talk about the people he worked with, the things he misses the most about Club Med, and so much more. Please enjoy this interview with Scott!! **My First Season podcast has always been ad-free and free to listen to and is available to download on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Samsung Podcasts, Podbean App, Podchaser, Spotify, Amazon Music/Audible, TuneIn + Alexa, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM, Pandora and Listen Notes. And if you like what you hear, please leave a review at Apple podcasts.

My guest today worked for Club Med from October 2018 to March 2021. Her first season was in Club Med Cancun in 2018 as a Fitness G.O. Please help me welcome from Québec, the fabulous, Melissa Ferland!! Melissa was at the opening of Club Med Michès in the Dominican Republic in November 2019 and also worked at Turks and Caicos. Melissa was very busy in her life before Club Med. When she was in high school in 2009, Melissa placed first at the National Cheerleading Championships in Canada. She then obtained an Accountancy degree from the Université du Québec and is also a certified Cycling, Zumba Aqua-Zumba, and Zumba Kids instructor. In addition to this, Melissa is a nutrition coach, Yoga instructor personal trainer, strength and conditioning coach, and a Naturopath N.D. Good lord!! Melissa makes me wonder what I’ve done with my life!! Melissa traveled the world extensively before Club Med and worked in Portugal in the summers of 2016-2018. She was teaching fitness classes on a short-term contract at a hotel in Cuba in 2018 when she realized she wanted to continue teaching fitness in resorts. She went to Google and typed in “fitness instructor in the Caribbean” and Club Med came up. Melissa takes us through her interview process, her first season in Cancun, what it was like opening Club Med Michès, and her season in Turks for the reopening in October 2020, which was closed due to COVID-19. She lets us know what she is up to now, and we talk about her website “Melissa Ferland-Holistic Fitness Coach” which offers online coaching in Fitness, Holistic Coaching, and Live Workouts (please see link below). Please enjoy this episode with Melissa!!**My First Season podcast has always been ad-free and free to listen to and is available to download on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Samsung Podcasts, Podbean App, Podchaser, Spotify, Amazon Music/Audible, TuneIn + Alexa, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM, Pandora and Listen Notes. And if you like what you hear, please leave a review on Apple podcasts. Please check out her website: Melissa Ferland - Holistic Fitness Coach (melissa-ferland.com) And please give her a follow on Instagram: Melissa Ferland (@melissaferland) | Instagram And Facebook: Facebook

My guest today is the author of three internationally best-selling books, and she is the publisher and editor of the world's most popular English language magazine about France with around 2.8 million readers per issue. She is also the editor of “The Good Life France” website, a travel writer, and a podcaster. Born in London, she now lives in the middle of nowhere rural northern France with her husband and an extended family of furry and feathered creatures! Please help me welcome, author and podcaster, Janine Marsh! Janine talks about finding her dream house in France one day without really wanting to find it. Parts of the house are 400 years old, there are twenty-one rooms and they have spent the last twenty years renovating the house! Janine takes us through her coup de foudre moment when she knew she was going to buy this house. We talk about her adjusting to the way of life in France and its many customs, such as the queue (or lack thereof!), the two-cheek kiss, and why everyone’s day was ruined when the Tour de France came by their village. Hint: it had to do with bread! We talk about Janine's many animals, her website, her podcast called, “The Good Life France” and the three books she has written, “My Good Life in France”, “My Four Seasons in France” and "Toujours la France”. I hope you enjoy this episode with a very entertaining and amusing guest!! **My First Season podcast has always been ad-free and free to listen to and is available to download on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Samsung Podcasts, Podbean App, Podchaser, Spotify, Amazon Music/Audible, TuneIn + Alexa, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM, Pandora and Listen Notes. And if you like what you hear, please leave a review at Apple podcasts. Please visit Janine’s website to find information on her books, magazine, and podcast, and much more: Home - The Good Life France And please check out her Instagram and give her a follow: FrenchJanine (@thegoodlifefrance) | Instagram

For today’s guest, I reached out to a former guest on this podcast and asked her if she had anyone amazing that she would recommend. Girl delivered. This incredible young man is from Dallas, Texas and he worked for Club Med from 2017 to 2021. His first season was in Club Med Sandpiper in 2017 as the DJ. If ever there was a name that belongs on a Club Med badge, it’s his. Why? Well, please help me welcome T.J. Walker, AKA, DJ T.J.!!! T.J. worked in the resorts of Columbus Isle and Turks and Caicos. He did not know much about Club Med when he applied on the worldwide employment website, indeed.com. During his interview, T.J. and a few other interviewees had to make up a dance for 1997’s “Freed From Desire” by Gala! As T.J. is one of the few guests on this podcast that just recently stopped working for Club Med, he is able to provide a fresh perspective on village life these days. T.J. lets us know what it was like working for Club Med during the pandemic and the challenges it presented. In terms of music, I ask him what his “guilty pleasure” songs are and they are not what you might think! When I asked T.J. what song was requested by French G.M.s at Sandpiper in 2017, he reminded me of a song I totally forgot about, the 2000s “Ces Soirées-là” by Yannick! Then, of course, Yannick gets referenced throughout this interview! No shade at all, that song is a banger! Please enjoy this episode with a very charming and personable young man! **My First Season podcast has always been ad-free and free to listen to and is available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Samsung Podcasts, Podbean App, Podchaser, Spotify, Amazon Music/Audible, TuneIn + Alexa, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM, Pandora and Listen Notes. And if you like what you hear, please leave a review at Apple podcasts. Please check out his Instagram and give him a follow!: 𝔻𝕁 𝕋𝕁 | 𝕋𝕣𝕒𝕧𝕖𝕝 𝔻𝕁 (@officialdjtj) | Instagram

My guest today worked for Club Med from 1990 to 1999 and was a Set Designer, Choreographer, and Chief of Animation. He met John Shelly in New York City on an elevator and John gave him his business card. A few months later, my guest called John and was in a village less than a week later! His first season was in Club Med St. Lucia in 1990 as a Set Designer. Please help me welcome, from Toronto, Ontario, the only and only, Graham Maxwell!! As I discovered during this interview, Graham is one heck of a raconteur so get ready to be entertained! I don’t want to spoil any of his stories, so please do yourself a favor and listen to his entire interview! Graham tells a story about how he was not really feeling his first season, but a talk with Angie Boucher (who was Aerobics at the time) about how animation works and how Club Med functions as a whole, changed his mind and he decided to stay. Graham worked with many notable CDVs such as Kevin Batt, Hammer, Dirk Nouira, Pierre Letellier Gagnon, Howard McCarley, and Miredieu, to name but a few. Graham talks about one of the shows he is most known for and that is the rock opera “Tommy”, which he saw on Broadway in 1993 and adapted for a Club Med audience. He had quite the celebrity encounters, including being Jennifer Coolidge’s scene partner when the Groundlings, an improvisation and sketch comedy theatre from Los Angeles, came to Turks and Caicos in 1996-1997. He also met Joel Grey, Mitzie Gaynor, Mickey Rooney, Patti LuPone, and five-time Grammy award winner Michael Bublé, who was a Club Med Artiste in Club Med Cancun in ’97 if you can believe that! Graham mentions a lot of names from the past, so if you were an early 90s G.O., you will love this episode with a very entertaining person! (Editor’s note: The song by Patti Lupone that I meant was the best song ever sung is “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina” from the Broadway play “Evita” and not the song Evita as I had stated). Please enjoy!! **My First Season podcast has always been ad-free and free to listen to and is available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Samsung Podcasts, Podbean App, Podchaser, Spotify, Amazon Music/Audible, TuneIn + Alexa, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM, Pandora and Listen Notes. And if you like what you hear, please leave a review at Apple podcasts.

I never got the chance to work together with my next guest, but his name has been mentioned before on this podcast and we do have 70 mutual friends. He worked for Club Med from 1987 to 1994 and his first season was in Club Med Eleuthera in April of 1987, as a Lifeguard and Swimming Instructor. From Montreal, Quebec, and now living in Las Vegas, please help me welcome, Stéphan Coté! Stéphan was also a Circus G.O., a Chief of Circus, and an Animator (in Copper Mountain), where he also got married. He met his future wife Lisa Pilot, who was a Mini Club G.O., in Club Med Punta Cana during the 1987/1988 season and they are still happily married to this day. Stéphan also helped set up the first circus village in Europe, which was Club Med Metaponto, Italy from April to September 1990. As you can imagine, Stéphan has a ton of stories and he has a story from his first season that is probably every first-season G.O.’s nightmare when you are starting a new job in Club Med, but he tells it in a very humorous fashion! Stéphan also mentions that Bob Christians was a big influence in his life, and he is fondly remembered here. He tells me something that I had never heard before and that is that Florida State University has a circus school called, “The FSU Flying High Circus”, which was founded in 1947 as an extra-curricular activity, and that they had been coming to Club Med since the early 80s. Stéphan brings up something else I had never heard of and that Club Med had run a summer camp called “Kids of the World” introduced in 1985, located at Copper Mountain. In this instance, Lisa had worked there during the summer and one of the activities was the flying trapeze, in addition to rafting excursions on the Colorado and Arkansas rivers. In 2010, Stéphan opened a Circus school in Las Vegas called “Trapeze Las Vegas” and we will get into that and so much more during this episode of MFS. So, “harness” yourself in (see what I did there?) and get ready to be entertained!! **My First Season podcast has always been ad-free and free to listen to and is available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Samsung Podcasts, Podbean App, Podchaser, Spotify, Amazon Music/Audible, TuneIn + Alexa, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM, Pandora and Listen Notes. And if you like what you hear, please leave a review at Apple podcasts. Please check out Trapeze Las Vegas: https://www.trapezelasvegas.com/

Mon invité d'aujourd'hui a travaillé pour le Club Med de 1971 à 1988. Sa première saison s'est déroulée au Club Med de Portiragnes, dans le sud de la France, en tant que chef d'orchestre. Il a également été animateur, chorégraphe, Resp. Trafic, chef d'animation, chef des sports, Resp. Chalet d'altitude et de 1981 à 1988, il a été chef de village. Aidez-moi à accueillir, s'il vous plaît, Robert «Bébert» Herin! Avant le Club Med, Robert avait un orchestre qui tournait beaucoup et il écrivait aux hôtels pour trouver du travail pour son orchestre. C'est sa sœur qui lui a suggéré de contacter le Club Med et le reste appartient à l'histoire. Robert a travaillé dans des villages tels que Cefalù, Corfou Ipsos, Pakostane, Malabata, Sveti Marko (pour n'en citer que quelques-uns) et il a également participé à l'ouverture du village de l'île Maurice en 1973/1974! En tant que chef de village, Robert a travaillé dans quatorze villages différents, y compris dans la zone américaine, et il nous fait part de quelques anecdotes intéressantes sur ces lieux exotiques. Sa première saison en tant que chef des sports s'est déroulée à Al Hoceima en 1976, où il s'est blessé à la jambe, mais où il a également rencontré sa future épouse, qui était G.M. Robert est également membre du «In Vino Jazz Band». C'est un orchestre de Jazz Swing festif et humoristique, qui joue les grands noms du jazz tels que Louis Armstrong et Sidney Bechet. Il a près de cinq mille abonnés sur sa chaîne YouTube pour le "In Vino Jazz Band". Robert est également un artiste du Club Med et visite chaque année différents villages du Club Med. Si vous étiez un G.O. dans les années 1970 ou 1980 ou si vous voulez simplement savoir comment était le Club Med à l'époque, cet épisode est pour vous ! Profitez de cet épisode avec Bébert! **Le podcast My First Season a toujours été gratuit et sans publicité et peut être téléchargé sur : Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Samsung Podcasts, Podbean App, Podchaser, Spotify, Amazon Music/Audible, TuneIn + Alexa, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM, Pandora et Listen Notes. Et si vous aimez ce que vous entendez, laissez un commentaire sur Apple podcasts. Visitez sa chaîne YouTube pour In Vino Jazz Band et abonnez-vous! https://www.youtube.com/@RobertHerin

My guest today worked for Club Med from 1997 to 2001 as a Costume designer. She was sent to Club Med Sandpiper in 1997 for a stage, but her first season was in 1997/1998 in Club Med Playa Blanca. She is from my hometown of Montreal, so please help me give a warm welcome to, Sophie Boyer! Sophie worked in such villages as Turks and Caicos, St. Lucia, Paradise Island, and Columbus Isle. Sophie went to school for Theater Production (props, lights, sound, set, and costume design), but it was costume design that she really gravitated towards. Her father saw an ad that Club Med was hiring, she applied and was hired!! Playa Blanca in 1997/1998 with Houria Osmani as the CDV, was her most magical season and Sophie has many stories from this cherished time in her life. My favorite story of hers is the award that she won at the end-of-the-season Awards Show! Sophie was at Turks in Caicos in 1998 with the CDV LouLou, Gus as Chief of Animation, and Hendel as Chief of Sports and yes, we talk about that season too. Sophie met her share of celebrities during her time on Columbus Isle from 2000-2001. She met Antonio Sabàto Jr., Thierry Lhermitte, Mitsou, Claude Charlebois, Corey Hart and Julie Masse! After Club Med, Sophie worked for Cirque du Soleil from 2002-2020. She worked as a costume maker for Cirque du Soleil on such shows as Love, Ka, Zumanity, and Ovo, just to name a few and we will talk about that as well. Please enjoy this episode with Sophie! **My First Season podcast has always been ad-free and free to listen to and is available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Samsung Podcasts, Podbean App, Podchaser, Spotify, Amazon Music/Audible, TuneIn + Alexa, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM, Pandora and Listen Notes. And if you like what you hear, please leave a review at Apple podcasts.

I had the pleasure of working with my guest today during the summer of 1996 in Club Med Columbus Isle. I knew her as a Scuba G.O. but her first season was in Club Med Sahoro in 1995 as a Mini Club G.O. Please help me welcome, the first Japanese EXGO to the podcast, Makiko Omae!! Makiko’s first experience with Club Med was at Club Med Bali as a G.M. with her parents. She worked for Club Med from 1995 to 1998 in resorts such as Moorea and Turks and Caicos. After Club Med, Makiko worked at Stuart Cove’s in Nassau, Bahamas as a shark feeder! Makiko worked for Chiefs of Village such as Kenton Smith, Patrice Prual, Patrizia Moretti, Kevin Batt and Xavier Gomila. Makiko shares a story about a once-in-a-lifetime encounter with a humpback whale and how JoJo in Turks would often single her out when she was trying to teach a diving course! We swap some Jean-Paul Morales stories from Columbus in ’96 and I ask her if shark feeding is as scary as it looks. Please enjoy this episode with Makiko!! **My First Season podcast has always been ad-free and free to listen to and is available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Samsung Podcasts, Podbean App, Podchaser, Spotify, Amazon Music/Audible, TuneIn + Alexa, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM, Pandora and Listen Notes. And if you like what you hear, please leave a review at Apple podcasts.

I had the pleasure of working with my guest today during an amazing season in Club Med Columbus Isle in 1999/2000. Her first season, however, was in Club Med St. Lucia in 1992/1993 as a Petit Club G.O. Please help me welcome, Heather Mousserin Corry!! Heather was working as a nanny in Germany when she applied to Club Med and then had her interview in Montreal. Heather worked for Club Med from 1992 to 2000 in villages such as St. Lucia, Sandpiper, Eleuthera, Magic Isle, and Phuket in 1996/1997 (where she would have her honeymoon eight years later!), to name but a few. Since we spent Y2K together in Columbus Isle in 2000, we talk about that shared experience and Heather not knowing who French actor Thierry Lhermitte was when she checked him in at that same resort. Heather takes us from her days as a Petit/Mini Club G.O. up to her promotion as Chief of Mini Club in Ixtapa in 1994/1995. After Club Med, Heather worked aboard the MS Paul Gauguin, the sister ship to the Club Med II, met her future husband on that ship, and now lives in Bordeaux, France teaching English as a foreign language and we will get into all of that! Please enjoy this interview with Heather! **My First Season podcast has always been ad-free and free to listen to and is available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Samsung Podcasts, Podbean App, Podchaser, Spotify, Amazon Music/Audible, TuneIn + Alexa, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM, Pandora and Listen Notes. And if you like what you hear, please leave a review at Apple podcasts.

My guest today worked for Club Med from 1976 to 1979 and then returned in 1991. This first interview will focus on his early years. His first season was in Club Med Martinique as a Snorkeling and Picnic G.O. in 1976. From Montreal, Quebec, please help me welcome, Harvey Richard S., AKA Kid Mercury!! In later seasons, Harvey became an Animator, and he has quite the stories to tell from the early days. Harvey worked the first-ever winter season of Club Med Cancun in 1977 (with CDV Jacky Amzallag, Luc Distelmans as Animator, and another future CDV, Ye, on the Sports Team) and also worked at Club Med Moorea in 1979, as well. He recounts how he got his job in Club Med through his partner in crime, Eric, also from Montreal. You must hear Harvey’s famous (or infamous) animation gag that he and Eric played on the incoming and unsuspecting New York Charter at the airport in Martinique in 1977. Let’s just say that “Rocky and Joey” raised some heck! Harvey also published a children’s book called, “Stories for Souls of All Ages” that you can find on Amazon.com and everywhere you buy books, and we will talk a little about that. Harvey is a master storyteller, so you will really enjoy this episode about Club Med in the late 70s! **My First Season podcast has always been ad-free and free to listen to and is available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Samsung Podcasts, Podbean App, Podchaser, Spotify, Amazon Music/Audible, TuneIn + Alexa, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM, Pandora and Listen Notes. And if you like what you hear, please leave a review at Apple podcasts. Please check out a video for his book!: Stories For Souls Of All Ages - Available Now - YouTube And his author's Facebook page: https://m.facebook.com/KidMercuryAuthorEntertainer?eav=AfaDJxW1Jw8cib1Lnncs9hJR4ynaRnCi85DKbXfjQuDOnTwIsgcsaTVIb3cWVkKn_ac&paipv=0