My First Season

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 villag...

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 f...

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...

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 ide...

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 Unive...

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...

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 ne...

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...

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! B...

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...

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...

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 recommend...

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 Par...

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!...

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 wou...

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....

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 amazi...

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 Ales...

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 welco...

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...

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 hu...

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...

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, On...

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 als...

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 «Bé...