My First Season

My guest today and I worked together in Club Med Paradise Island in 2002/2003 where he was Resp. of the Tennis team. I first met him in Columbus Isle in 1997 while he was on the way to his first season in Club Med Paradise Island in Winter of 1997 as a Tennis G.O. Everyone, please help me welcome from beautiful British Columbia, Petri Raito! I distinctly remember meeting Petri at the bar in Columbus Isle in 1997 and when he told me he was a Tennis G.O, I laughed (you will understand why at the start of the episode and if you know this G.O, then you already know why). Before Club Med, Petri was teaching tennis in New York and Connecticut and met someone that had worked for Club Med. He has so many stories that cover about 7-8 years that I don’t even want to mention them in this description so I don’t spoil them. Petri is also the co-founder and GM/CEO of Rossland Beer Company, an award-winning craft brewery tucked away in the glorious mountain town of Rossland, British Columbia (we will talk about how he founded his beer company at the end of the episode). Please check out his website below and give him a follow on Instagram (@rosslandbeerco). Listen here or wherever you get your podcasts.

http://rosslandbeer.com/

https://www.instagram.com/rosslandbeerco/

My guest today and I met during our first season together in Club Med Turks & Caicos in Summer of 1994. I was at the end of my season and she was starting her 94/95 season as a Boutique G.O. From California, please help me welcome Melissa Cuevas-McIntyre! Melissa has a very vivid account of her first season in Turks & Caicos and she shares her experience with us in great detail, including her favorite JoJo story, getting Padi certified, brushes with minor celebrities, two-cheek kissing Europeans, how to small-talk like a pro at lunch and her favorite Crazy Sign, Crocodile Rock (ugh). Listen here or wherever you get your podcasts.

I met today’s guest in Club Med Paradise Island in 2002/2003, where she was the resort photographer. Her first season was as an au pair Bar G.O. in Club Med Copper Mountain, Colorado in March of 1995. Originally from NYC, now living the good life in Mexico, please help me welcome to the show Paula Fishman! Paula initially went on vacation to Copper Mountain and then was recruited by the CDV, Carlos Castro, to work at that resort. The rest they say, is history. She worked as an au pair about 15 times before she had her first actual contract in Club Med Sonora Bay in the Summer of 1999. Being from New York, Paula has her own New York GM stories/dumb questions and they are a hoot! Today, Paula is the owner and operator of Casa Preciosa, which is two beach rental casitas 35 minutes from the city of Merida, in the town of Chuburna Puerto. If you are planning a trip to Mexico or are traveling through Mexico and are in the area, please look her up! (link provided below).

https://www.casapreciosayucatan.com/?fbclid=IwAR0BOChvXNGZAtNqZOukjTiqm_tunY66mwyY2kyd6RpgKqMyN9PicC_ON18

My guest today and I worked together in Club Med Paradise Island in 2002/2003. His first season was in Club Med Punta Cana in Winter of 1999 as a Tennis G.O. From Montreal (yahoo!) please help me welcome, Peter Anthony! Peter started to learn tennis at age 12 and eventually became a ranked competitive junior tennis player in the province of Quebec. He was teaching tennis in Montreal when a fellow tennis pro told him about Club Med. He gave Peter G.A.’s number and the rest is history. Even though it was Peter’s first season, he quickly caught on that he joined one of the most stacked G.O. teams talent-wise, of the late 90’s. Just to give you an idea, Moïses Aykanat was the CDV, Cookie the Chief of Animation, Kiko was the Chief of Sports, Flo was the animator and Monika from Brazil was the choreographer. At Circus you had Mac and Caius and Simon Sez was Landsports, to name just a few. Peter discusses his first season in depth and we also touch on the season we met in Paradise Island. Listen here or wherever you get your podcasts.

My guest today and I met at an EXGO Reunion in Cancun in 2008. His first season was as an au pair Mini Club G.O in Club Med Huatulco in 1997 and his first contract season was in Eleuthera in 1998/1999. From Ottawa, please help me welcome Jason “Big Jay” Reid! Before Club Med, Big Jay was finishing up a 2-year diploma from Algonquin College in Ottawa in Recreation & Facilities Management. Part of his studies involved going to Club Med on a 3-week placement. His roommate that first season was none other than the Chief of Circus, Darwin. As a result of that pairing, Big Jay was determined to learn Circus and became involved with the Circus Shows, as he loved everything about Trapeze (learning the boards, pulling safety lines and catching during the comedy skits of the Circus Shows). He shares a few funny stories with the same theme-almost losing his bathing suit on a picnic boat or losing his bloomers during a circus skit! Listen here or wherever you get your podcasts.

My guest today is from Vancouver and we worked together in Club Med Buccaneer’s Creek in Martinique during the 1998/1999 season, which was her first season as an Aerobics G.O. She arrived at the village in November 1998 while it was undergoing a labor dispute. Everyone, please help me give a warm welcome to Cherine! Cherine gives a detailed account of her first season and what it was like starting her Club Med career in such a difficult and challenging time, that was the labor dispute. Before Club Med, Cherine was a member of the UBC All Star Team (Cheerleading) and was on the NBA Vancouver Grizzlies Stunt & Acrobatic Team and she even got a bronze medal in the Canadian National Aerobics Competition (CNAC) in 1998. Today she is a member of the Mom Bop Band, which is 90’s-style pop music suited for moms, dads, parents and kids alike (please check them out on Instagram @mombopband and their YouTube channel Mom Bop). Listen here or wherever you get your podcasts.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClyIcQ91S8q_zFHEOYymv0Q

https://www.instagram.com/mombopband/

My guest today hails from the Garden State and is the author of the book “Sex, Surf and Sunburn-My Life Inside Club Med”. His first season was in Club Med Turks & Caicos in the Summer of 1999 as a Scuba G.O. Please help me welcome to the podcast, V.J. “Padre” Mochel! V.J. recounts how he went to Club Med twice as a G.M and that is where he got bit by the Scuba bug. He did not have an interview or audition when he was hired and sent to Turks (I know, right?!). V.J. shares his favorite JoJo the dolphin story and what it was like being the permanent guest host of the foam party in Turks & Caicos and how that came about. There is much more discussed in this episode, so please give a listen and when you get the chance, please check out V.J.’s books below in the links provided. Listen here or wherever you get your podcasts.

https://www.lulu.com/en/ca/shop/vj-mochel/sex-surf-and-sunburn/ebook/product-1k8eepky.html?page=1&pageSize=4

https://www.lulu.com/en/us/shop/vj-mochel/after-the-party/ebook/product-1vkzzpy7.html?fbclid=IwAR2JSsZpj-Q6ptAfVlLpcIcOE9_QOqnaUjWBlab9jxXtzeWRLzYW3PO2_po&page=1&pageSize=4

Very excited for my next guest as he is the first guest on the show to have worked for Club Med in the 1970’s. He is from Montreal and when he applied to Club Med, they sent him to Europe for his very first season (I know, right?!) His first season was in Club Med Porto Petro in Majorca, Spain in 1978 as a Sailing G.O. Everyone, please welcome, Tim Purcell! Tim worked about 8 seasons in Club Med and in only his second season, he opened the village of Eleuthera in the Bahamas! Tim also worked at Cancun, Playa Blanca, Mauritius and Noumea to name a few. We talk about these seasons as well, so I hope you enjoy this episode. *There were some audio/connection issues during taping, so apologies in advance. Listen here or wherever you get your podcasts.

My guest today is the only EXGO I know and worked with who became a commercial pilot after Club Med. He has been on the show before, so please welcome Frontier Airlines First Officer, Nick Margellos! Nick takes us back to when he first thought about becoming a pilot and the many steps, hours and dedication it took to eventually becoming a commercial pilot. He started his journey to becoming a pilot at ATP Flight School in Las Vegas, then becoming a Flight Instructor and then onto GoJet Airlines as a pilot. After roughly 2 ½ years at GoJet, he went to Frontier Airlines where he is currently working. Nick was kind enough to answer all my dumb questions like can a novice land a plane without training and why do pilots always give me geographical updates when I’m eating the peanuts? In the course of the interview, we find out that Club Med does not have the market cornered on dumb questions and know-it-alls: aviation has their share of the same as well. Nick drew a lot of parallels with the scuba world (where he is an instructor) and the flight world, and he’ll tell us all about it in this latest episode. Please enjoy and listen here or wherever you get your podcasts.

My guest today and I met during her first season in Club Med Cancun in May of 2004. She was part of the Waterski Team and a fellow Montrealer. Everyone, please help me welcome, Jo Pilon! Before Club Med, Jo was a competitive wakeboarder and was a Quebec wakeboard champion. Jo grew up in a town on a lake with a small population and as a result, had a somewhat sheltered upbringing. Working at Club Med was a bit of an eye-opening experience for her, what with the 22 different nationalities that were present that season. She fully embraced the different cultures, age groups and lifestyles of her fellow G.O’s and is very glad for the experience she had, as it made it much more meaningful and rewarding for her. In this interview, Jo shares a pretty funny story about a trip to the nightclub Dady’Os one night and many more from her first season. After Club Med, Jo obtained a Master’s degree from HEC Montreal and is currently an Operations Manager. Please enjoy and listen here or wherever you get your podcasts.

Please check out her Instagram and give her a follow:

https://www.instagram.com/jopilon11/