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 ...
Oct 11, 2021•41 min•Ep. 36
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 Cl...
Oct 04, 2021•48 min•Ep. 35
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 th...
Sep 27, 2021•38 min•Ep. 34
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 ...
Sep 20, 2021•37 min•Ep. 33
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 ...
Sep 13, 2021•48 min•Ep. 32
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 wer...
Sep 06, 2021•49 min•Ep. 31
My guest today and I started Club Med in the same year, but only met years later at an EXGO Reunion in Cancun. Her first season was in Club Med Punta Cana in October of 1994 as an Archery G.O. Everyone, please help me welcome, from Toronto, Ontario, “Sunny”! Sunny probably has the best G.O. interview story I have ever heard and that is because of the lengths she went to, to get a job in Club Med. I do not want to spoil a word of it, so you will just have to give this episode a listen to find out...
Aug 30, 2021•44 min•Ep. 30
My guest today had his first season in Club Med Cancun in July of 1995 as a Sailing G.O. He is from Miami, Florida and before Club Med, he had a summer job teaching Hobie Cat sailing in Biscayne Bay. Everyone, please help me welcome, Larry Katz! Larry had his interview in Florida and then was sent to Cancun at a time when not many G.O’s were sent to Cancun for their first season. He tells a not-so-funny Hurricane Roxanne story-not funny because he was scheduled to leave Cancun the day the hurric...
Aug 23, 2021•43 min•Ep. 29
My guest today and I met in Club Med Coral Beach in Israel in 2004/2005 after her two-year stint in the Army. Her first season was in the French Alps, in Club Med Avoriaz in November 2002 as a Mini-Club G.O. Everyone, please help me welcome, Maude! She started going to Club Med as a child in the Mini-Club, so it was like a full-circle moment for her. Before she started working at Club Med, Maude was part of a socialist youth group that did volunteer work and were dedicated to bringing about chan...
Aug 16, 2021•45 min•Ep. 28
I had the pleasure of working with my guest today in Club Med Cancun in 2004/2005, which was her first season as a Boutique G.O. I was beyond shocked to hear that Cancun was her first season, because if you had met this person that season, you would have sworn she had been a G.O for about five years-she was just that awesome. Everyone, please help me welcome, Shannon (What!!What!!)! Shannon graduated with a double major at McGill University in Montreal and after her audition with Club Med that t...
Aug 09, 2021•37 min•Ep. 27
My guest today and I worked together in Club Med Paradise Island in 2003/2004 where she was the choreographer, but her first season was in Club Med Sandpiper in October of 2001 as a Reception G.O. Everyone, please help me welcome, originally from New York and Montreal (yes, I’m claiming her) and now living in Las Vegas, Gabrielle LoRe Seidenberg! Gaby had quite the journey to Club Med. She was working in Montreal, won a staff contest for a trip for two to Club Med Ibiza in Spain and then started...
Aug 02, 2021•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 26
My guest today and I have worked together before in Club Med Cancun in 2004/2005 and he is someone you all know or have heard of. Everyone, from Vancouver, please help me welcome Jenner! Jenner has had quite the career in Club Med. Before Club Med, Jenner completed an undergraduate degree in Physiology at UBC and then obtained a Masters degree in Applied Physiology (department of Kinesiology) at SFU. He started his Club Med career in January of 1989 as an au pair Landsports G.O. at Club Med Moor...
Jul 26, 2021•41 min•Ep. 25
My guest today and I worked together in Club Med Turks & Caicos in Summer of ’94 (my first season), but his first season was in Club Med Playa Blanca in 1993/1994 as a Scuba G.O. He is originally from Minnesota and now lives in Denver. Everyone, please help me welcome, JohnnyScuba! Before Club Med, Johnny served in the United States Navy as a Gunner’s Mate aboard the U.S.S. New Jersey, an Iowa-class battleship. Johnny shares a lot of stories from his first season, as well as our season in Tu...
Jul 19, 2021•51 min•Ep. 24
My guest today is Derek Baron, the creator of the popular travel website called “Wandering Earl”. On December 25th, 1999, Derek left the USA for a three-month, post-graduation trip to Southeast Asia. The idea was for him to backpack around Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam and then return home and start a career in the sports industry (He wanted to be a Sports Agent). When Derek landed in Bangkok, he had $1500 USD to his name and that was it. Since then, he has visited over 100 countries on 6 conti...
Jul 12, 2021•41 min•Ep. 23
My guest today had his first season in Club Med Sandpiper in Summer of 1990. He had a contract as an Animator. Here’s the thing though: he actually worked at Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus as a Clown and Acrobat for two years and when he applied to Club Med three months after leaving Ringling Bros., he didn’t know Club Med even offered Circus! Everyone, please help me welcome Carlos Ragas! Originally from Rhode Island now living in California, Carlos shares many funny stories with...
Jul 05, 2021•46 min•Ep. 22
My guest today's first season was in Club Med Turks & Caicos in February of 1987 as a Windsurf G.O. Only here’s the thing-he wasn’t a windsurfer! I’ll let him tell that funny story, a great JoJo story, and another one involving American currency washing up on the beach one morning. Originally from San Diego and now living in La Jolla, California, please help me welcome the always-entertaining, Eric Eaton! Listen here or wherever you get your podcasts.
Jun 28, 2021•44 min•Ep. 21
My guest today and I worked together in Club Med Paradise Island, Bahamas in 2002/2003. His first season was in Club Med Sonora Bay, Mexico in June of 2001 as a Sound Engineer. Originally from Coney Island, NY and now living in Las Vegas, please help me welcome the “Coney Island Striker” himself, Ian Seidenberg! Ian recounts his first season in Sonora Bay and what it was like coming from New York and then suddenly scuba diving with seals in the Sea of Cortez and riding horses in the Sonoran Dese...
Jun 21, 2021•42 min•Ep. 20
My guest today and I were fortunate to work together in Club Med Columbus Isle in 1999/2000. Her first season was in Club Med Turks & Caicos in 1990 as a Boutique G.O. She went on to become a Chief of Animation and attend the Chief of Sports stage as well. She tells a very funny story about trying to learn to windsurf and JoJo the dolphin not wanting to let her. Originally from California and now living in Las Vegas, everyone, Veronica Margellos! ! **My First Season podcast has always been f...
Jun 14, 2021•42 min•Ep. 19
My guest today and I had the pleasure of working together in Club Med Columbus Isle in 1999/2000. He became a Scuba instructor at age 18 and to date, has logged between 3500-400 dives all around the world. His first time in Club Med was as an au pair in Club Med Sonora Bay in 1993 and then he went back to Club Med as a Scuba G.O. in Club Med Cancun in January of 1998. Originally from Vancouver and now living in Las Vegas, please help me welcome Nick Margellos!! Listen here or wherever you get yo...
Jun 07, 2021•49 min•Ep. 18
My guest today and I worked together in Club Med Paradise Island, Bahamas in 2002/2003, which happened to be her first season as a Tennis G.O. Before Club Med, She attended Arizona State University on a tennis scholarship. Everyone, from Winnipeg, Canada please help me welcome Tannis Goulet! Tannis tells us what it was like her first season and shares an amusing story about a day trip to Exuma, $10.00 all-you-can-eat-and-drink-rum punch and an evening visit to the Atlantis resort (all in the sam...
May 31, 2021•40 min•Ep. 17
My guest today did not work for Club Med, but he did spend a year working for Carnival Cruise Lines and was the only American in Carnival Cruise Lines’ thirty-year history to work a full contract in the ships’ restaurants without quitting or transferring. We’ll get into why that is such a huge deal and his first season in the travel and tourism industry and everything he experienced on the high seas. He is author of the books Cruise Confidential, Ship for Brains, Unsinkable Mister Brown, High Se...
May 24, 2021•49 min•Ep. 16
My guest today and I worked together in Club Med Lindeman Island, Australia in 2000/2001. His first season was at Club Med Chateau Royal-Noumea, New Caledonia in April of 1999 as a Circus G.O. Everyone, please help me give a big Aussie welcome to Luke “Casper” Murphy! Casper is originally from Maitland, New South Wales Australia and now lives in Sydney. Casper recounts a very funny story about his first night in Noumea involving him dressing in drag as Celine Dion and a trip to a local bar. He a...
May 17, 2021•44 min•Ep. 15
My guest today and I worked together in what was her first season in Club Med Playa Blanca in 1996/1997. She was a Scuba G.O. and I was Landsports. Funny story…she didn’t like me! (I can respect that). I was a huge fan of hers though and we’ll get into that and more on this episode of “My First Season”. Listen as Dana tells us what it was like going from working as a Commercial Diver and Scuba Instructor in Key West, Florida to working in a big singles resort in Playa Blanca, Mexico. She also sh...
May 10, 2021•43 min•Ep. 14
My guest today and I worked together in Ria Bintan, Indonesia from 2001-2002. Everyone, Mr. Reggie Martin! Reggie’s first season was in the Mini-Club in Club Med Sandpiper during the Summer of 1997. Reggie takes us back to his first season where he thought he was going to be sent somewhere exotic, only to find out he was being sent to Florida! Reggie is originally from Chicago and now living in Macau, with 5.7 million followers on Instagram (check him out @reggiemartin10). Reggie truly believed ...
May 03, 2021•39 min•Ep. 13
My guest today and I have never worked together before, but we did meet at the EXGO Reunion in Cancun in 2008. Originally from Newport Beach, California but now lives in Atlanta, my guest had his first season in Club Med Sandpiper in 1990 as a Waterski G.O. and even drove down from Atlanta for his interview in the resort of Sandpiper itself. He tells a great story about teaching a blind woman named Kitty how to waterski and lets us know what it was like going to Club Med on vacation in the 70s a...
Apr 26, 2021•40 min•Ep. 12
My guest today and I have never worked together, but I did meet him a few years back and was on guest on his radio show, the EXGO Radio Show. He was sent to Club Med Sandpiper for the 88-89 season as DJ and tells a very funny story about the guy in charge of Lighting & Sound Engineers for the North American Zone trying to tank the Cats show being put on one night to test him, but I’ll let him tell it. Everyone, give it up for Hiio “Joel” Kirby! Listen here or wherever you get your podcasts....
Apr 19, 2021•35 min•Ep. 11
My guest this week and I worked together in Otranto, Italy in the summer of 1997. I was Landsports and he was the Chief of Animation. His first season, however, was in Club Med Sant’Ambroggio-Corsica in the summer of 1995 as Animator. Originally from Marseille, France but now resides in California, Laurent “Jova” Minnitti didn’t actually feel that he went to some exotic location for his first season, as Corsica is an island off the coast of France. Not only that, when he arrived in the village, ...
Apr 12, 2021•40 min•Ep. 10
My guest today and I had never worked together before, but I heard his name constantly bombarded at me (in a very good way) by a very good friend in Columbus Isle, Bahamas (we’ll get to that funny story later) Everyone, please help me give a warm welcome to, LP! LP LeBlanc-Boucher shares his story of going to Club Med Playa Blanca as an au pair Animator in January of 1992. On his arrival to the village, he happened to be on the same bus as the "Atlantis"group that had bought out the village that...
Apr 05, 2021•52 min•Ep. 9
My guest this week and I worked together in Cancun during the 2004-2005 season. His first season was in Club Med Cancun in November 2003, where he was the Entertainer/Animator of the resort and is none other than Bob Dougherty, AKA “Bobby D”. Bob worked for both Disney Cruises and Club Med, so that makes him a double-threat for this podcast. He is also able to offer candid insight on the differences between cruise ships and resorts. Bob even tells a great story of working with a pre-American Ido...
Mar 29, 2021•49 min•Ep. 8
My guest today had her first season as a Hostess in Club Med Turks & Caicos in November 1985, just one year after that resort opened. We had the pleasure of working together in Columbus Isle in Winter 1999/2000. She needs no introduction as you know her, love her, and cherish her. Everyone, my guest is none other than the amazing Angie Boucher! Listen as Angie recounts her interesting first interview, her ordeal with Hurricane Kate (and bar-beads) that passed over the island on November 18, ...
Mar 22, 2021•44 min•Ep. 7
