My First Season

My guest today worked for Club Med from 2016 to 2020. His first season was in Club Med Sandpiper in 2016 as Landsports Supervisor. During his tenure at Club Med, he also held Sports and Animation Manager and Assistant CDV positions. Before Club Med, he was a Division 1 Varsity Men’s Tennis team player and Team Captain at the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University, where he graduated summa cum laude with a degree in Management and International Business, and he has almost completed his Master’s degree from Northwestern University. Please help me welcome, from Cincinnati now living in Chicago, Adam Reinhart! Adam worked in the resorts of Turks and Caicos, Punta Cana, and Marrakech and was supposed to go to the resort of Club Med Sanya in China, but he explained the somewhat complicated process to get a Chinese work visa. Adam shares with us what it was like arriving in Marrakesh in 2019 during Ramadan and discusses his six-month season there as an Entertainment Manager. Adam and I talked about whether working at Club Med helped him in his current job and if he still misses dress codes. Please enjoy this interview 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 worked for Club Med from 1989 to 1997. His first season was in Club Med Punta Cana as a Petit Club G.O. only twenty-four hours after finishing university with a degree in Hotel and Tourist Administration! He has spent time with legends like Diego Maradona and Jacques Cousteau, and he is yet another EXGO who met their future wife in Club Med, and we will talk about that as well. Please help me welcome, from the Dominican Republic, Carlos Dipres! Carlos and I talk about many things, and he happened to be at Club Med Punta Cana when that famous ship broke into two on the reef. We discussed meeting Diego Maradona in Punta Cana and Carlos visiting Jacques Cousteau at his home in Eleuthera. Carlos tells the story of how he met his wife and the proposal. We reminisce over being Picnic G.O.s in Martinique with girlfriends and talk about the Club Med reunions Carlos has been to. Please enjoy your time with Carlitos! **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 until 2021. Her first season was in Club Med Sandpiper as a Mini Club G.O. Before Club Med, she attended Tulane University and graduated cum laude in Spanish Language and Literature with minors in French and Psychology. She was also a member of the Tulane Cheerleading Squad and don’t roll your eyes at me, but of course, we will talk about the movie Bring It On! After Club Med, she went to work at The Four Seasons in Tamarindo, Mexico as The Director of Leisure Activities and we will talk about that as well. Please help me welcome from Florida, Sarah Paster! Sarah worked at the Club Med resorts of Punta Cana, Albion, Cancun and Miches. She was destined for a life of teaching when she took a detour through Club Med. She was about to leave for France to teach English to French high schoolers when she decided to explore the Club Med route further. Sarah shares a rather memorable first season Memorial Day story with us and we talk about her Sports Manager stage in Opio, France, and which EXCDV mentored her during her first interim CDV. Please enjoy your time meeting Sarah, because I know I did! **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 started as a G.M. in 1983. His first season was in Club Med Sandpiper in 2002 as a Reception G.O. Fun Facts: He started working at Club Med when he was 45 years old. He wrote something called, “How Club Med Saved My Life: A True Story” and we will talk about that and many other things as well. Please help me welcome, From New Jersey, Daniel Koellhoffer! Daniel worked in the Club Med resorts of Sandpiper, Turks and Caicos, and Crested Butte. He takes us from his early days as a G.M. to his rewarding career as a G.O. Many laughs were had during this interview and none more so than Daniel trying to explain to your podcast host what an "Atlantis 16:00 Tea Party" is! Daniel also shares with us his fitness journey and what led him to write his short story about how Club Med saved his life. Please take a moment to listen to Daniel’s feel-good interview, you will not regret it. 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 is a legend of Club Med and he worked for them from 1992 to 2006. I had the SUPREME pleasure of working with him during my first season during the summer of 1994 in Turks and Caicos (and two other villages- Columbus Isle & Cancun). He started playing hockey at 3 years old and learned to barefoot in a Speedo (a Speedo?). His first season was at the opening of Club Med Columbus Isle in 1992 as a Bar. G.O. despite never having taken a bartending course and we are going to ask him all about that and so much more. Still don’t know who I’m talking about? It is the one, the only, the man, the myth, the living legend, from Montreal, Quebec, Freddy Bermingham, AKA, "El Fuego"! Freddy’s connection to Club Med started with his cousin who was a Hostess G.O. at the opening of Club Med Cancun! Freddy worked in the Club Med resorts such as Martinique, Cancun, Playa Blanca, Phuket, Kemer, and Paradise Island, to name just a few. Freddy has so many stories that I do not want to spoil any of them by listing them here! Please enjoy this super-sized 200th episode with an enjoyable and 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. 

Mon invité d'aujourd'hui est une LÉGENDE du Club Med. Il a travaillé pour le Club Med de 1992 à 2006. J'ai eu le SUPRÊME plaisir de travailler avec lui lors de ma première saison durant l'été 1994 aux Turks et Caicos (et dans deux autres villages: Columbus Isle et Cancun). Sa première saison a eu lieu à l'ouverture du Club Med Columbus Isle en 1992 en tant que G.O. Bar. Nous allons lui poser toutes sortes de questions à ce sujet et sur bien d'autres choses encore. Vous ne savez toujours pas de qui je parle? C'est le seul, l'unique, l'homme, le mythe, la légende vivante, de Montréal, Freddy Bermingham, AKA, El Fuego! Le lien de Freddy avec le Club Med a commencé avec sa cousine qui était hôtesse G.O. lors de l'ouverture du Club Med Cancun. Freddy a travaillé dans les villages du Club Med telles que la Martinique, Cancun, Playa Blanca, Phuket, Kemer et Paradise Island, pour n'en citer que quelques-un. Il a tellement d'histoires à raconter que je ne veux pas en gâcher une seule! Appréciez cet épisode de grande envergure avec une personne très amusante et divertissante! **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, n'hésitez pas à laisser un commentaire sur les podcasts Apple.

Today’s guest worked for Club Med from 1987 to 1991. Her first season was in Club Med Copper Mountain as a Kids Club G.O. and she became a Circus G.O. in subsequent seasons. Fun Fact: At the time in the late 80s, she was only the 4^th female Circus G.O. in the history of Club Med! She met her future husband Stephan Cote, who was on this podcast, at Club Med Punta Cana in 1987, and now we will get her perspective on that meeting. She has a lot of entertaining stories, so I hope you are ready Seasoners! Please help me welcome, Lisa J Pilot Cote! Lisa worked at Copper Mountain (3X), Punta Cana, Eleuthera, St. Lucia, Playa Blanca, Huatulco, and Metaponto in Italy. Lisa shared some hilarious stories from her first season at Copper Mountain as a Kids Club G.O. at Kids World. Lisa had just graduated from college in 1986 when she booked a trip to Cancun to stay at the Hotel Flamingo. She saw quite a commotion and a party happening at the Club Med resort nearby in Cancun, and she was curious. She applied, and the rest is history. Lisa has many interesting stories from her time in Club Med that I know you will 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. 

Mon invité d'aujourd'hui est une légende du Club Med. Il a travaillé pour le Club Med de 1992 à 2004. Sa première saison a été au Club Med Sonora Bay en 1992 en tant que G.O. de ski nautique. Il a travaillé partout dans la zone américaine et peut tout faire: de la voile, de la planche à voile et du ski nautique. De Montréal (Québec), veuillez m'aider à accueillir Claude "Pirate" Lacelle! Pirate a grandi à Pointe-Fortune au Québec et a couru avec la torche olympique pour les Jeux olympiques de Montréal de 1976 parce qu'il avait gagné un concours! Par la suite, il a suivi un cours de plongée à Montréal avec quelqu'un qui travaillait au Club Med et qui pensait que Pirate ferait l'affaire. Pirate s'est rendu à New York pour son entretien et a ensuite été envoyé à Sonora Bay pour sa première saison. Pirate a légèrement déformé la vérité quant à son niveau de ski nautique et a une histoire amusante à ce sujet, ainsi que beaucoup d'autres histoires intéressantes. Si vous voulez savoir comment Pirate a obtenu son surnom et quelles ont été ses nombreuses autres saisons, cet épisode est fait pour vous. **Le podcast My First Season a toujours été sans publicité et son écoute est gratuite. Il est disponible sur: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Samsung Podcasts, Podbean App, Spotify, Amazon Music/Audible, TuneIn + Alexa, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM, Pandora, Podchaser et Listen Notes. Et si vous aimez ce que vous entendez, veuillez laisser un commentaire sur Apple Podcasts.

My Guest today is from Vancouver, Canada and her first season was in Club Med Sandpiper in 2016 as a Baby/Petit Club G.O. She also worked in Club Med Ixtapa in 2017 and met her husband during her first season. You may recall that only a few weeks ago, her husband, Dylan Kett, was on the podcast, and now we will get her version of that encounter and who fell for whom first!! Please help me give a warm welcome to Dakota Stockley-Kett! Before Club Med, Dakota studied Early Childhood Development at Capilano University. A neighbor of Dakota’s worked for Club Med in 2005 and told her about her experience. Dakota applied twice and had a Skype interview with Club Med and was then sent to Sandpiper. We talked about what it was like meeting her future husband, their wedding at Sandpiper, Hurricane Irma in August 2017, and many other things. Please enjoy this interview with Dakota! **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 1993 to 1997. His first season was in Club Med Copper Mountain as a Ski Instructor. He is yet another EXGO referred to me by recruiter extraordinaire, Shehime Arshad. Fun Fact: He attended the same university (for 1 year) that I work at, Concordia University, in 1992. During the summers at Club Med, he was also a Tennis and Golf G.O. He saw an ad for Club Med in a ski magazine and knew someone who had worked at Club Med who told him about it. Seasoners, please help me welcome, from Toronto, Ontario, Mark Kelton! Mark also worked in the Club Med resorts of Eleuthera (1995 & 1996), Paradise Island (1996/1997) and Turks and Caicos (1997). Mark goes into detail about each of his seasons and shares some very humorous stories that range from getting a jack-o’-lantern sunburn during his first beach season in Club Med, hockey tournaments with very competitive Russian NHL players, and being stunned by the shows that Mike Coltman put on in Eleuthera in 1996. Mark talks about the band that was put together during his first season called Los Mogles. Mark was asked to join the band because a G.O. was convinced that since Mark played the tuba, he could easily play the bass! Mark also shares a story about how Dan and Chantal (RIP) became ski instructors at Copper Mountain. The interview ends with Mark sharing a story about the Alpineglow Stube, a restaurant in Summit County, Colorado that sits atop Keystone’s North Peak, that a Brazilian G.M. took Mark and fourteen others to (robes and slippers?!). It’s a must-hear story at the end of a very entertaining interview. 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.