I never had the pleasure of working with my guest today, but she worked for Club Med from 1988 to 2000. Her first season was in Club Med Eleuthera in 1988 as a Mini Club G.O. Everyone, please help me welcome one amazing Aussie, Julie Ford!! When she was a young twenty-something first-grade teacher, Julie went to Club Med Moorea by herself as a G.M. at the suggestion of her mother. Even after that vacation Julie still was not sure she would apply one day to become a G.O., but she eventually did a...
May 29, 2023•1 hr•Ep. 133
J'ai eu le plaisir de travailler avec mon invitée d'aujourd'hui pendant une saison extraordinaire au Club Med Lindeman Island en Australie pendant la saison 2000/2001. Avant le Club Med, elle est allée en tant que G.M. avec sa famille dans les Club Med de Santa Theresa, Djerba La Douce, Da Balaia et Marrakech. Sa première saison a été au Club Med de Kos en 1999 en tant que G.O. du Petit Club. Elle a ensuite travaillé à Valmenier-Valloire (1999-2000) avec l'incroyable CDV, Gibus, et elle a égalem...
May 26, 2023•48 min•Ep. 129
My guest today worked for Club Med from July 1993 to 2001 as Mini Club, Chief of Mini Club and Circus. His first season was in Club Med Ixtapa in 1993 as a Mini Club G.O. From Ontario, Canada, please help me welcome, Jamie Neilson!! Before Club Med, Jamie visited Club Med five times starting in 1986. He actually told his guidance counselor in high school that he wanted to be a G.O.! As a G.M., he went to Bermuda, Paradise Island, and St. Lucia. Jamie worked in villages such as Eleuthera, Roi Sol...
May 22, 2023•57 min•Ep. 125
My guest’s name is frequently brought up on this podcast when I ask them which CDV they enjoyed working with, so I am very happy he agreed to share the first part of his story with us. Why just the first part? Well, he worked for Club Med from 1967 to 1999 and spent twenty of those years as a Legendary Chief of Village! His first season was in 1967 in Club Med Caprera in Sardinia, Italy as a Scuba G.O. Everyone, please help me welcome the amazing, Mike Coltman!! I hope you are sitting comfortabl...
May 15, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 123
I never had the pleasure of working with my guest today, but we do have 16 mutual friends in our Club Med family. Before Club Med, she studied Communications & Marketing at Eastern Michigan University and is a diehard Michigan Wolverines fan-Go Blue! Her first season was in May of 1988 in Club Med Paradise Island as a Hostess. She worked for CM from 1988 to 1990 in St. Lucia, Huatulco, and Punta Cana and she was also a Sailing G.O. Please help me welcome from Baltimore Maryland and now livin...
May 08, 2023•49 min•Ep. 124
I heard about my guest during my first season in Turks and I did not meet him until 28 years later! So, as you can imagine, I am very excited to have him on the podcast! His first season was in Club Med Eleuthera in 1983 as a Sailing G.O. He worked for Club Med from 1983 to 2020 and held positions such as Sailing & Windsurfing, Public Relations, Chief of Sports, Chief of Village to Director of Training and Corporate HR in Miami and Director of UDT. Still don’t know who I am talking about? Yo...
May 01, 2023•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 122
I had the pleasure of working with my guest today in Club Med Turks and Caicos during the summer of 1994. When I posted Anthony Salerno’s interview about the amazing “70s Celebration” in Turks that summer, he left a nice comment and his recollection of that incredible week. I reached out to him and he graciously agreed to come on the podcast. His first season was in Club Med Sandpiper in 1991 as DJ. Please help me welcome to My First Season, Darren Wasson! Darren was actually in a pool bar in Pa...
Apr 24, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 121
My guest and I worked an amazing season together in Club Med Playa Blanca in 1996/1997, so I am delighted whenever someone from that season comes on, such as previous MFS guests like Dana Winess, Vladimir Mayllen, and Luke “Gus” Neale, for example. His first season was in Club Med Huatulco in January of 1996 as Polyvalent Sports with Myriam Karaohanessian as CDV. He later became an Archery G.O., Animator, and Chief of Animation and then returned to Club Med in 2013 as Polyvalent Animation. From ...
Apr 16, 2023•58 min•Ep. 120
En plus de deux ans d'existence de ce podcast, mon invité d'aujourd'hui est le PREMIER et le seul invité à accepter d'enregistrer deux interviews distinctes dans DEUX langues! C'est exact tout le monde, cet épisode sera à la fois en anglais ET en français!! Qui est cet homme talentueux?! Eh bien, je l'ai rencontré au Club Med Cancun en 2004 alors qu'il était G.O. du cirque, mais sa première saison était au Club Med Cancun en mars 1998 en tant que scénographe. Il a travaillé pour le Club Med de 1...
Apr 10, 2023•58 min•Ep. 119
In more than two years of this podcast, my guest today is the FIRST and only guest to agree to record two separate interviews in TWO languages! That is right everyone, this episode will be in both English AND French!! Who is this bilingual stud and talented guy?!! Well, I met him in Club Med Cancun in 2004 when he was a Circus G.O., but his first season was in Club Med Cancun in March of 1998 as a Set Designer. He worked for Club Med from 1998-2006 in villages such as Eleuthera, Huatulco Varader...
Apr 10, 2023•58 min•Ep. 118
My guest today and I almost met in 1999 in Columbus Isle, but just missed each other by a few weeks. G.O.’s spoke often of my nicknamed guest over the years, so I feel like I knew him a little. After the interview, we realized that we attended the same EXGO Reunion in 2008 in Cancun! His first season was in Club Med Turks and Caicos for the 1989/1990 season as a Scuba G.O., with Kenton Smith as his Chief of Sports. He was born in New York, grew up in the UK, and now lives in Mallorca. His rather...
Apr 03, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 116
Bonjour à tous, et bienvenue à nouveau à mon podcast sur le voyage et le tourisme, My First Season. J'ai rencontré mon invité aujourd'hui à Kusadasi, en Turquie, au cours de l'été 2001 et je suis heureux d'annoncer qu'il était mon chef de village cette saison-là et qu'il est le premier chef de village français à participer au podcast! Sa première saison a eu lieu en 1987 à Avoriaz en tant que moniteur de ski. Il a travaillé dans des villages tels que Kamarina, Opio, Yasmina, Marbella, Eilat, Pue...
Mar 30, 2023•34 min•Ep. 126
I met my guest today in Club Med Playa Blanca in 1997 when he was a G.M. and I was a Landsports G.O. It is because of this podcast that he reached out to me roughly 25 years later. He said that meeting me and the Rock Climbing G.O. in Playa Blanca, Claude Gagnon, inspired him to apply to Club Med. His first season was in Club Med Ixtapa in May of 1997 as an Archery G.O., with “Toutoune” as the CDV and “Godo” as the Chief of Sports. From Montreal and now living in Alberta, please help me welcome ...
Mar 27, 2023•49 min•Ep. 114
My guest today worked for Club Med from 1989 to 2004 and her first season was in Club Med Sandpiper in 1989/1990 as a Baby Club G.O. She worked her way up to Chief of Baby and Petit Club and was also a Child Care/ Circus HR manager as well as the Child Care Regional Manager. From British Columbia, Canada, please help me welcome Jo Moore!! Before Club Med, Jo worked in a YMCA summer camp that was just like Club Med, the only difference was that it did not have a bar! Jo went to Club Med Ixtapa as...
Mar 20, 2023•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 113
As promised, he is back for more!! My guest today is from Nassau, Bahamas and we met in Club Med Columbus Isle in January of 1996. His first season was in Club Med Paradise Island in 1980 as a Sailing G.O. Please help me welcome back to the podcast, the amazing and hilarious, Hansel Moss! Hansel’s Club Med story (from 1980-1992) cannot be contained in just one episode and the fact that I call him a dear friend after having the pleasure of working with him for two and a half years. In this episod...
Mar 13, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 115
I never had the pleasure of working with my next guest, but I did hear his name throughout my career in Club Med and in the two years of this podcast, his name has come up quite frequently. His first season was in Club Med Marbella, Spain in 1979 as a Watersports trainee. He worked for Club Med from 1979 to 2004 (25 years!) in more than twenty different Club Med villages. Who am I talking about? Well, it’s the one and only legendary, Carlos Castro!! Before Club Med, Carlos traveled abroad since ...
Mar 06, 2023•49 min•Ep. 110
I never had the pleasure of working with my next guest but I did hear about him when I was working for Club Med. His name came up on Dean Barbour’s episode and a chance encounter at Red’s birthday party during the summer of 2022 clinched the deal, so to speak. He is from Montreal, Quebec and in Club Med he was known as…Fergy!! Please help me welcome to MFS, Mario “Fergy” Ferguson! Fergy’s first season was in Club Med Martinique in 1988 as Landsports. Fergy worked for Club Med from 1988 to 1997 i...
Feb 27, 2023•54 min•Ep. 109
Bonjour à tous, et bienvenue à nouveau au podcast sur le voyage et le tourisme, My First Season. J'ai rencontré mon invité aujourd'hui sur le groupe Facebook «Club Med Le Groupe des G.O.'s». Il a travaillé pour le Club Med de 1986 à 1988. Sa première saison a eu lieu en 1986 à Djerba la Douce, et il a travaillé dans des villages tels que Cap Skirring, Turquoise, Metaponto, Pompadour et Les Restanques à Saint Tropez. Il était un moniteur de tennis et un responsible de tennis aussi. Il a travaillé...
Feb 23, 2023•53 min•Ep. 117
Hello everyone, this is part 5 in the MFS series “Amazing Women Doing Amazing Things”. I came across my guest today by reading an article of hers published in “Outside” magazine in November 2022, entitled, “Let Me Tell You the Truth About Being an Adventure Guide”. From that article, I learned about a course that she had taken called “National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS)”. The course lasted 89 days, and of course, I had to ask her all about it. She is a backpacker, rock climber, experienced...
Feb 20, 2023•45 min•Ep. 111
In two years of this podcast, today’s guest’s name has come up so often when I ask them which Chief of Village they liked working with, that I had to reach out and ask if he would like to come on. He has done 39 seasons in Club Med and 14 years in the Miami office where he currently holds the position of Senior Director UDT (University des Talents). In Club Med, he is known by only one name and in fact, he is the only Club Med employee around the world that has a nickname in their Outlook addres...
Feb 13, 2023•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 107
My guest today is the first guest invited back to the podcast. Why is that, you ask? Well, he was the first guest ever on My First Season just over two years ago, but back then, I stuck to the script. Meaning, we only talked about his first season and none of the other 10 seasons or more that he did. He was kind enough to be a test subject of sorts for my podcast, and like all things, My First Season has only evolved from that very first interview with him. He has agreed to come back to the podc...
Feb 06, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 108
My guest today and I have never met but his name has come up quite a few times on this podcast. His first season was in Club Med St. Lucia during the winter of 1989 as a Bar G.O. Originally from Seattle, now living in Florida, please help me welcome, Terry Drummey!! Before Club Med, Terry was getting a Commercial Tourism and Business Management degree from Washington State. He was working in a bar and a customer who went to Club Med on vacation told him he’d be a perfect fit for Club Med. Terry ...
Jan 30, 2023•54 min•Ep. 106
Bonjour à tous, et bienvenue à nouveau dans le podcast sur le voyage et le tourisme, My First Season. J'ai rencontré mon invitée aujourd'hui sur le groupe Facebook «Club Med Le groupe des G.O.'s». Elle a travaillé pour le Club Med de 1981 à 1988. Sa première saison a eu lieu en 1981 à Cefalu, en Sicile, et elle a travaillé dans des villages tels que Pompadour, Agadir, Vittel, les Boucaniers, Santa Teresa, les Bermudes, Cap Skirring, la Caravelle et Sainte-Lucie. Elle a occupé plusieurs postes au...
Jan 19, 2023•45 min•Ep. 112
Mon invité d'aujourd'hui et moi avons travaillé ensemble au Club Med Lindeman Island en Australie en 2000/2001. Sa première saison se déroule au Club Med d'Avoriaz durant l'hiver 1993 ou il occupe le poste d’animateur. Il a travaillé pour le Club Med de 1993 à 2015 dans des villages tels que Chamonix, Djerba La Douce, Cargèse, Valmeinier-Valloire, Phuket, Kamarina, Pompadour, La Plagne et Agadir. Mesdames et messieurs, aidez-moi s'il vous plaît à accueillir à My First Season (Ma Première Saison)...
Jan 18, 2023•36 min•Ep. 103
My guest today was not a village G.O., but he was a Club Med New York office G.O. and was a HUGE part of why my first season in Club Med Turks and Caicos during the summer of 1994 was so amazing. He worked for Club Med from September 1987 to 1995 at the Club Med corporate offices in New York City. He was the Director of Advertising and Sales Promotion in the Marketing Department. Everyone, please help me welcome, Anthony Salerno!! A cousin of Anthony’s went to Club Med Paradise Island and raved ...
Jan 16, 2023•53 min•Ep. 105
My guest today and I worked together in Club Med Cancun in 2004/2005 with Hendel. His first season was in Club Med Sandpiper in 2004 as a Waterski G.O. Originally from Chicago and now living in Austin, Texas, please help me welcome, Parker Burke! Before Club Med, Parker obtained a degree in Business Management with a Minor in French. He even did a semester abroad in Aix-en-Provence, France in 2002 (and we never talked about this during our season in Cancun!). After Club Med, he got a Master’s de...
Jan 09, 2023•52 min•Ep. 102
My guest today and I worked together in Club Med Columbus Isle during the 1997/1998 season. Her first season was in Club Med Cancun in April of 1997 as a Sailing and Windsurfing G.O. A family trip to Club Med St. Lucia when she was 16 years old lit the spark and she wanted to be a G.O. from that moment on. She has a degree in Journalism, dance and Secondary Education and she hails from the Lone Star State. Please help me welcome the amazing and funny, Jennifer "Jen" Simonds!! Jen may have starte...
Jan 02, 2023•59 min•Ep. 101
Welcome to a very special 100th episode of My First Season! My Guest today and I met during my 1st season in Turks and Caicos during the summer of 1994. His first season was in Club Med St. Lucia in 1991/1992 as a Scuba G.O. Everyone, please help me welcome, the man, the myth, the legend…in his own mind, from the city that never sleeps, Cowboy!! Before Club Med, Cowboy worked for Associated Marine Institutes and taught juvenile offenders how to sail and scuba. A guy he worked with named Buff Mil...
Dec 26, 2022•56 min•Ep. 100
My guest today kept posting one amazing photo after another on the various EXGO Facebook sites, that I asked him if he would agree to come on and share his story. His first season was in 1979 in Club Med Martinique as a Snorkeling/Picnic G.O. From NYC but now living in beautiful Arizona, please help me welcome Gary Sirota!! Gary worked for Club Med from 1979 to 1989 with a few various stints here and there after that. He worked in such villages as La Caravelle, Paradise Island, Copper Mountain, ...
Dec 19, 2022•49 min•Ep. 104
Today’s guest worked for Club Med from 1988 to 1991. His first season was in Club Med St. Lucia in 1988 as a Carpenter. From Potomac, Maryland, please help me welcome, Lee Siegel! Lee worked in the villages of St. Lucia, Copper Mountain, Eleuthera, Playa Blanca and Punta Cana. He may have started out as a carpenter, but he worked his way toward Bar G.O. and then Chef de Bar. Even though Lee had never bartended before Club Med, he became so good at it that his “Goombay Smash” cocktail beat out se...
Dec 12, 2022•1 hr•Ep. 98
