My First Season

My guest today and I have never met, but I had heard very funny stories about him from other EXGO’s over the years. His first season was in Club Med Sandpiper in February of 1992 as Manager of the Annex restaurant with Carlos Castro as CDV. From New Jersey (via Florida), please help me welcome, Sammy Orodenker!! Before Club Med, Sammy was doing a double major in Hospitality Management and Musical...

I never had the pleasure of working with my next guest, but we did cross paths at EXGO Reunion 3 in Cancun in 2010 (and we currently have 112 mutual friends!). His first season was in Club Med Eleuthera, Bahamas in the Summer of 1990 as a Mini Club G.O., with the amazing Denis Amsellem as CDV. From Fresno, California, please help me give a big MFS welcome to Chris Wiehl! Before Club Med, Chris was...

My guest today and I met in Club Med Columbus Isle in January of 1996. I was Landsports and he was the resort photographer. Little did I know at the time that I was in the presence of true greatness and I am very grateful for the 2 ½ years I got to spend with him. His first season was in Club Med Paradise Island in 1980 as a Sailing G.O. Everyone, please help me welcome, the Bahamian sensation, th...

My guest today and I crossed paths in Club Med Columbus Isle in 1997/1998 where she was in training to be a Choreographer, but her first season was in Club Med Copper Mountain in Fall of 1996 as a Reception G.O. Originally from Atlanta, but now living in Marina del Ray, please help me welcome the amazing, Ouija Whittemore! Before Club Med, Ouija (and yes, we will get into her name!) was a professi...

My guest today and I met in the main restaurant of Club Med Playa Blanca during the 1996/1997 winter season. I was a Landsports G.O and he was a G.M. His first season was as an au pair in Club Med Playa Blanca in May of 1992 as a Landsports G.O. From Orange County, California, please help me welcome to My First Season, Stan Bruckheim!! Before Club Med, proud Army brat Stan actually lived in France...

My guest today and I worked together in Club Med Playa Blanca during the 1996/1997 winter season, but his first season was in Club Med Cancun on May 8, 1988 (yes, he knows the exact date!) as an Assistant Traffic G.O. From Mexico City, please help me welcome Salvador Cortés! Salvador worked for Club Med from May1988 to May 2022! Before Club Med, Salvador worked for Pemex (the Mexican state-owned p...

My guest today and I met when he was the Chief of Village of Cancun and I was there for the EXGO Reunion 3 in 2010. He arrived in Club Med Sonora Bay on July 13, 1993 for his first season as a Specialty Restaurant Manager. He is the FIRST Mexican Chief of Village in the history of Club Med, so please help me give a very warm MFS welcome to Eduardo Rojas! Before Club Med, Eduardo was working in a n...

My guest today and I have never met, but his name was mentioned on a previous episode by an another EXGO. His first season was in Club Med Sonora Bay during the summer of 1998 as the Animator/DJ. Everyone, please help me give a warm welcome to a very, very funny EXGO from Montreal, Christopher “Christo” Williams!! Christo worked for Club Med from 1998 to 2000 and went on vacation to Club Med as a...

My guest today and I have never met, but I did interview her brother-in-law, Boone, for this podcast in February of 2022. Her first season was in Club Med Cancun in 2013 as a Waterski and Wakeboard G.O., but you could say her actual first season was when she was conceived in Club Med Turks & Caicos (both her parents were G.O.’s for nine years)! Everyone, please help me welcome the amazing and tale...

My guest today and I worked together in Club Med Playa Blanca during the 1996/1997 season, but his first season was in Club Med Cancun in April of 1996 as a Tennis G.O. From Mexico City and now living in Cancun, please help me welcome Vladimir Mayllen! Vladimir worked for Club Med from 1996 to 2014 in resorts such as Cancun, Playa Blanca, Sonora Bay, Sandpiper, Turks & Caicos, Ria Bintan in Indone...

My guest today and I have never met, but we do have 46 mutual friends in the Club Med family. Her first season was in Club Med Turks and Caicos as a Scuba Instructor in April of 2014. From Quebec City, please help me welcome Jennifer “Jen” Keays! Jen was born in Quebec City, but moved to Whistler, B.C. when she was seventeen years old. Before Club Med, Jen attended Capilano University (CAPU) in Va...

My guest today and I met at an EXGO Reunion in Cancun in 2008 or 2010 (we’re both not sure), but his first season was in Club Med Turks and Caicos in 1989 as a Sailing and Windsurfing G.O. Fun Fact: he did not know how to do either of those things!! Everyone, please help me welcome, from Vancouver, Cheez! Before Club Med, Cheez (Glenn Jensen) was at the start of a three-month, ten-stop Pacific Rim...

My guest and today and I worked together in Club Med Cancun in 2004/2005. His first season was also in Club Med Cancun, but in September of the 1999/2000 season as a Bar G.O. From beautiful Montreal, please help me welcome, Eric Laflamme! Before Club Med, Eric was attending Concordia University in Montreal for Jazz Interpretation (Eric plays the sax) and a friend suggested he would make a good bar...

My guest today and I have never met, but I did interview her daughter Sydney Gaudreau for this podcast in February of 2022. Her first season was in October of 1989/1990 in Club Med Ixtapa as the G.O. Nurse. From California, please help me welcome to MFS, Lili Bronner Gaudreau! Before Club Med, Lili was a professional ballet dancer, but a knee injury from a wipeout in skiing caused her to change vo...

My guest today and I worked together in Club Med Cancun in October of the 2004/2005 Winter season, which just happened to be her first season as a Bar G.O. From Vancouver, please help me give a warm welcome to Nicole Morrow! Nicole had just completed a degree in Hospitality Management and was planning to move to the city to work at the Hotel Pan Pacific when a friend of hers introduced her to an E...

My guest today is a British-born, Spanish-based adventurer, writer and windsurfing instructor. In 2015 he achieved his childhood ambition to windsurf around Britain, becoming only the fourth person to complete the circumnavigation this way, and the first to complete it alone and without support. Everyone, please help me welcome to MFS, Jono Dunnett! Jono’s expedition started and ended at the town...

My guest today and I have never met (though we do have 78 mutual friends) and his Club Med career ended when mine began (1994). His name was dropped on another episode of MFS (Jenner) and I did hear his name mentioned throughout my career. His first season was in October of 1987 in Club Med Cancun as a Sailing G.O. From England and now living in Virginia Beach, please help me give a warm welcome t...

My Guest today I and met during my first season in Turks in summer of 1994, but his first season was in Club Med Cancun in July of 1988 as Aide Gestion. Everyone, please help me welcome, Steve Cohn! Before Club Med, Steve attended Georgetown University and obtained a degree in International Finance. After his graduation, Steve went backpacking in Europe and met a few G.O.s on vacation that told hi...

My guest today and I met at Club Med Ria Bintan in Indonesia in 2001/2002, but his first season was in Club Med Bali as an au pair Mini Club G.O. in Summer of 1998. Everyone, please help me welcome the first Indonesian EXGO to MFS, Marthen! Uncovered during this interview is the fact that Marthen, who was born in Indonesia but now lives in Malaysia, studied French literature at a private universit...

My guest today and I have never worked together, but each of us had our first season in Turks and Caicos. Her first season in Club Med Turks and Caicos was in September of 2014 as a Sailing G.O. From Vancouver, please help me welcome to MFS, Emily Jensen! Interestingly, Emily’s father was also a Sailing G.O. in Turks almost twenty-five years ago to the day Emily started working for Club Med. Her u...

My guest today and I met in Club Med Cancun in 2004 where I was working and she was a G.M. Her first season was in Club Med Paradise Island in February of 1986 as a Snorkeling G.O. From Boston, and now living in Arizona, please help me welcome to MFS, “Keri”! Keri has a rather unique story as she started working for Club Med straight out of high school. She received a trip to Club Med St. Lucia in...

My guest today and I have never worked together before, but we did meet at the EXGO Reunion 2 in Cancun in 2008. His first season was in Club Med Cancun in October of 1999 as a Snorkeling G.O. Please help me welcome, from Mexico City, the one and the only, G.o Nzo! Before Club Med, G.o Nzo was working part time in the day and going full-time to Intercontinental University (UIC) from 4:00pm to 10:0...

My guest today and I worked together in Club Med Paradise Island during the Winter 2002/2003 season, but his first season was in Club Med Sandpiper in February of 2001 as a Golf G.O. Originally from Vermont and now living in Indianapolis, please help me welcome, Cory DeCoteau! Cory got into golf at 10 years old because it was the family business: his parents managed a golf course. Later on, Cory p...

I thought I knew my guest a little when we worked together in Club Med Cancun in 2004/2005 (where she was the Choreographer), but as it turns out, I did not know her at all. Her first season was in 1996 in Club Med Rio das Pedras as a Waterski G.O. You know her, you love her, please help me welcome, Patchy!! Patchy had quite the interesting life before Club Med, to put it very mildly. You may not...

My very special guest today and I met in Club Med Bodrum, Turkey in the Summer of 1999 in what was my first season as a Chief of Sports and her first season as a Kayak G.O. From Ankara, Turkey and now living in Montreal, Quebec (and no, she did not follow me here!), please help me welcome the amazing Ece! Before Club Med, Ece (who speaks four languages) was studying French in Bilkent University wh...