My First Season

My guest today worked for Club Med from 2004 to 2006 and his first season was at Club Med Crested Butte as a Ski Instructor. He is a graduate of Penn State University with majors in Management and International Business with a minor in French. While at Penn State, he was a member of the Fencing team and won two NCAA Championships with the team. He’s from Pennsylvania but has been living in my favo...

My guest today worked for Club Med from 1991 to 2002 (22 seasons!) and his first season was at Club Med Copper Mountain as a Ski Instructor. He worked aboard the Club Med 1 in 1994 and Club Med resorts such as Cancun, Pontresina, Punta Cana, Roi Soleil, Sonora Bay, and Sandpiper. Fun Fact: he replaced me as Chief of Sports in 2001 in my favorite place, Lindeman Island in Australia, though we sadly...

My guest today worked for Club Med from 2018 to 2022. Her first season was in Club Med Sandpiper as a Teen Club G.O. She held other positions such as Fitness, Landsports, Sailing, Circus, Events and Animation, and Sports Manager. Before Club Med, she attended the University of New Haven and earned a Sports Management and Nutrition and Dietetics degree. While at university, she was on the track and...

I had the pleasure of working with my guest today in beautiful Club Med Columbus Isle in 1996. He worked for Club Med from 1990 to 2000 and his first season was at Club Med Punta Cana as a Mini Club G.O. Here is something interesting: For almost six years, he worked exclusively in Club Med Punta Cana doing various jobs such as DJ, Landsports and Sailing and we will ask him how that happened! From...

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 off...

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 th...

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...

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 i...

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...

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...

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, Exerci...

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 Ni...

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 U...

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 Ai...

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...

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 Nov...

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 t...

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? Thi...

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 wor...

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 gues...

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 villa...

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 Cl...

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 car...

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 me...

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...