Julie Ford

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 and had her interview in the Club Med New York offices with John Shelly. Julie worked in such villages as St. Lucia (89), Ixtapa (91), Noumea (92), Lindeman Island (93), Cherating (94), and Copper Mountain (95). She worked with Chiefs of Village such as Pierre Ruffaldi, Andrea Livingston, Patrice Prual, Carlos Castro, and Jean-Pierre Franquin. Julie was at the opening of Club Med Lindeman Island with Carlos Castro in 1993. I ask Julie to go into detail about the opening and she was kind enough to oblige me. Julie shares a story about a “borrowed” VCR and a future Chief of Village that you really must hear! She remembers watching the live telecast of the Olympics announcement on September 24, 1993, in the theatre of Lindeman and the place going nuts when Australia won the bid. Julie told herself then that when the Olympics came in 2000, she would be a part of it somehow. Did she? You will have to listen to find out!! We cover a lot in this episode so get comfortable! At the end of the interview, Julie tells us what she is doing now, the things she misses most about Club Med, and if she would do anything differently. Please enjoy this episode with Julia Ford!!  **My First Season podcast has always been ad-free and free to listen to and is available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Podchaser, Samsung Podcasts, Podbean App, Spotify, Amazon Music/Audible, TuneIn + Alexa, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM, Pandora and Listen Notes. And if you like what you hear, please leave a review at Apple podcasts.