My First Season

In this episode, I take you on an in-depth journey through my season at Club Med Otranto in Italy, where I worked at Landsports. I share some hilarious stories, often at my own expense, and reflect on the incredible G.O.s I had the privilege of working with. This marked my fourth official season at Club Med, and this particular season really stood out. 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.  

Je suis ravi de vous présenter une véritable légende du Club Med qui a rejoint l'équipe des G.O. en 1986, débutant son parcours au Club Med Martinique en tant que G.O. Plongée. Sa passion et son leadership ont été mis en avant lorsqu'il a ensuite été promu chef des sports, et en 1992, il a trouvé l'amour au Club Med Sandpiper, où il a rencontré sa future épouse. Au-delà du Club Med, c'est un athlète d'endurance extraordinaire, qui a remporté 10 courses Ironman, plus de 50 marathons et ultra-marathons, et qui a relevé le défi de la course exténuante « Rim to Rim to Rim Grand Canyon » en un temps record de 18 heures. De ses racines à Lyon, en France, à sa maison actuelle à Lansing, dans le Michigan, nous allons plonger dans ses incroyables histoires et bien plus encore. Je vous invite à vous joindre à moi pour accueillir Benoît Collard! **Le podcast My First Season a toujours été sans publicité et gratuit à écouter. Il est disponible en téléchargement 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, n'hésitez pas à laisser un commentaire sur Apple Podcasts.  

My guest today is a Canadian podcaster, writer, and traveler from Ontario who has spent much of her life exploring the world. She has trekked through the Alps, ridden a chicken bus across Central America, paraglided over the mountains of Nepal, and even lived in Australia as a child. In 2010, at the age of 35, she made the bold decision to leave her life in Toronto behind for several months to travel across Southeast Asia and China. That life-changing journey became the basis for her travel memoir, The People You Meet: Luxury, Leeches, Love, and Lao-Lao with a Host of Interesting Characters in Southeast Asia. We’ll be talking about that adventure and much more today. Please welcome Melissa Rodway! **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 visit her website:

The People You Meet: Luxury, Leeches, Love, and Lao-Lao

Her Instagram Fly Travel Media:

Instagram

Dans cet épisode, je vous emmène dans un voyage approfondi à travers ma saison au Club Med Playa Blanca, où j'ai travaillé dans le domaine des sports terrestres. Je partage quelques anecdotes hilarantes, souvent à mes dépens, et je réfléchis aux incroyables G.O. avec lesquels j'ai eu le privilège de travailler, dont beaucoup ont ensuite été interviewés pour ce podcast. * Le podcast My First Season a toujours été sans publicité et gratuit à écouter. Il est disponible en téléchargement 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, n'hésitez pas à laisser un commentaire sur Apple Podcasts. 

We’re back with part two of our interview with Benoit Collard! In this episode, Benoit shares stories from his time aboard the inaugural voyage of Club Med 1 and his experiences at several iconic Club Med resorts, including Monastir (Tunisia), Agadir (Morocco), Sandpiper, Ibiza, and his final season in Bora Bora. We also dive into his Ironman and Grand Canyon adventures and find out whether he still returns to Club Med today. Enjoy the conversation! **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. 

In this episode, I take you on an in-depth journey through my season at Club Med Playa Blanca, where I was a Landsports G.O. I share some hilarious stories, often at my own expense, and reflect on the incredible G.O.s I had the privilege of working with, many of whom I later interviewed for this podcast. Some of the stories in this episode include earthquakes, pheromones, giant bugs, and, of course, the legendary Uncle Larry. 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’m thrilled to introduce a true Club Med legend who joined the G.O. team in 1986, kicking off his journey at Club Med Martinique as a Scuba G.O. His passion and leadership shone through as he later rose to Chief of Sports, and in 1992, he found love at Club Med Sandpiper, meeting his future wife. Beyond Club Med, he’s an endurance athlete extraordinaire, conquering 10 Ironman races, over 50 marathons and ultra-marathons, and tackling the grueling “Rim to Rim to Rim Grand Canyon” race in an astonishing 18 hours. From his roots in Lyons, France, to his current home in Lansing, Michigan, we’re diving into his incredible stories and so much more. Please join me in welcoming Benoit Collard! Since Benoit had such an incredible career with Club Med, I decided to split this interview into two parts. In this first installment, we’ll explore his time at Club Med Martinique, Cancun, Moorea, Santa Teresa, and Turks and Caicos. When I originally asked Benoit to share a few fun facts, he left out one particularly remarkable detail—and in this interview, he finally reveals it! I won’t spoil the fun fact, so you’ll just have to listen to find out what it is. Please enjoy and stay tuned for part two! **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. 

Dans cet épisode, je vous emmène dans un voyage approfondi à travers ma saison au Club Med Columbus Isle en 1996, où j'ai travaillé dans le domaine des sports terrestres. Je partage quelques anecdotes hilarantes, souvent à mes dépens, et je réfléchis aux incroyables G.O. avec lesquels j'ai eu le privilège de travailler, dont beaucoup ont ensuite été interviewés pour ce podcast. J'ai passé deux ans et demi à Columbus Isle, les prochains épisodes aborderont donc les saisons qui ont suivi. * Le podcast My First Season a toujours été sans publicité et gratuit à écouter. Il est disponible en téléchargement 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, n'hésitez pas à laisser un commentaire sur Apple Podcasts. 

In this episode, I take you on an in-depth journey through my season at Club Med Columbus Isle, where I worked in Landsports. I share some hilarious stories, often at my own expense, and reflect on the incredible G.O.s I had the privilege of working with, many of whom I later interviewed for this podcast. I spent two and a half years at Columbus Isle, so future episodes will dive into the seasons that followed. In this episode, we’ve got it all: hurricanes, a vasovagal reaction, stitches, and even some behind-the-scenes notes on the Indiana Jones show! **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 1991 to 1992, beginning her first season at Club Med Copper Mountain as both a Hostess and a stand-up comedian. Wait—what? Don’t worry, we’ll get into that! She’s an award-winning advertising creative, a former stand-up comedian, and the author of five novels and counting. Her latest series just took gold in the Reader’s Favorite book awards. Along the way, she even stepped into the ring with WBC female boxing champion Christy Martin, and lived to tell the tale. With her husband Blaine, she co-founded Slow Burn Marketing and Slow Burn Story lab, has sold multiple movie scripts, and co-hosted a podcast for couples in business. Beyond her Club Med adventures, we’ll also dive into her latest book, V-Life. Please join me in welcoming the one and only, Honey Parker! In this episode, Honey takes us back to life before Club Med and shares how she landed her very first season at Copper Mountain. Honey opens up about her three seasons with Club Med, then dives into her fascinating journey after: from stand-up comedy and performing with the legendary Groundlings, to screenwriting, and her latest book, V-Life. And there’s more, Honey will return for a second interview soon, where we’ll explore the stories we didn’t get to this time, including why she stepped into the ring with a Hall-of-Fame WBC boxing champion! Get ready for an inspiring, funny, and unforgettable conversation with Honey! **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. 

Visit Honey's website for a complete collection of her books:

HONEY PARKER BOOKS - Best-selling author Honey Parker writes fiction with humor and heart.