My First Season

Rose Torelli

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! Before Club Med, Rose learned French in high school and visited Quebec and France. In her second semester in her junior year of college, Rose spent that time abroad in Paris and stayed with a French family. Prior to Club Med, Rose worked in New York City in PR in the fashion industry for Pierre Cardin, when she applied to Club Med at twenty-three years old. Rose details the excursions that both St. Lucia and Cancun offered in 1989. As much as I enjoy it when things go as planned, I asked Rose if she ever had an excursion go awry and one did, while she was on a snorkeling trip to Cozumel. As an Excursion G.O., they are not often in the village, but rest assured, she still did her share of Crazy Signs and shows! Rose also lets us know why her favorite excursion was the one to Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and she explains the meaning behind the G.O. t-shirt, “Cancun II- Better Than Never!”. Rose took what she learned in Club Med when she later worked for an International Marketing Manager in a French-owned company and handled relations with affiliates all over the world. Please enjoy this episode with Rose! **My First Season podcast has always been ad-free and free to listen to and is available to download on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Samsung Podcasts, Podbean App, Podchaser, 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. 

”Rapp”

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 entertainment teams. I was working in Asia when this was going on and never had heard of it before now, so I had a few questions about that. We will also talk about how he helped design Sharkie’s in Turks in 1997 and also helped design the Circus show, “Circus Nightmares & Children’s Dreams”. He is now a college professor and has been living a very nomadic life for the last 10 years. Please help me welcome, from around the world, the one and only, Rapp! Rapp wanted to work and travel so he bought a book about working abroad and applied to Club Med. He had a phone interview and was sent to Punta Cana which turned out to be Kevin Batt’s first season as CDV. Rapp also worked in the villages of Cherating and Ria Bintan in Asia. When he needed supplies for Bintan, he had to cross the Strait of Malacca in a tiny speedboat dodging tankers and waves just to get fabric! Rapp helped with the reopening of Punta Cana in 2000 and Crested Butte in 2001. He was at the opening of Club Med Varadero and tells us about that experience and what it was like buying black-market staples in Cuba! Please enjoy this episode with Rapp! **My First Season podcast has always been ad-free and free to listen to and is available to download on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Samsung Podcasts, Podbean App, Podchaser, 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. 

Lance Weinhardt

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 2018 at Columbus Isle called “Chief Happiness Manager” and if you know me, you know that I need to know all about that! From St. Louis, please help me welcome, the one and only, Lance Weinhardt! Lance might be the only G.O. to do a Skype interview with Club Med while dressed in a white tuxedo aboard a Disney cruise ship and then showing up to his first season in Sandpiper wearing a suit (no more spoilers)! Lance also worked in the villages of Turks & Caicos, Sahoro, Club Med 2, and Kabira. He has a story from his first season that I found so incredible, that I am not even going to hint at it here, you will just have to listen and find out (Okay, one hint: The Miami Dolphins)! Trust me, he is the only G.O. that I know that ever did this! Lance worked five times with CDV Julien Lettraz and he also worked with Jenny Lee, Pierre Jean, Shira Ben-Sefer, and David Meyer. Please enjoy this episode with Lance! **My First Season podcast has always been ad-free and free to listen to and is available to download on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Samsung Podcasts, Podbean App, Podchaser, Spotify, Amazon Music/Audible, TuneIn + Alexa, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM, Pandora and Listen Notes. And if you like what you hear, please leave a review on Apple podcasts. 

Suzanne DiVasto

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 recommended by a former CDV of mine and a former guest on this podcast. It turns out, she went to Turks and Caicos as a G.M. in 1985 where she met two of my favorite people, Angie Boucher and Hansel Moss. Angie was having her first season as a Hostess and she suggested that my guest try it! After her first season, she became a Chief of Animation and Choreographer in all her subsequent seasons. She met her future husband (who was Chief of Mini Club) in Club Med Copper Mountain, and they have been married for 32 years now. Who is this mystery guest? From Brooklyn, New York, and now living in the Sunshine State, please help me welcome, Suzanne DiVasto Citere! Suzanne takes us through all four of her seasons and despite hating winter like yours truly, she still somehow wound up in two different ski villages! We talk about Suzanne’s love of dance and if she thinks the 2000 movie “Center Stage” is the best dance movie of all time (Spoiler alert, she does not)! Suzanne is quite the storyteller with a vivid memory, so you will not want to miss this one. She has a pretty big claim to fame concerning the LipSync Show that she shares with us. Please enjoy this episode with Suzanne! **My First Season podcast has always been ad-free and free to listen to and is available to download on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Samsung Podcasts, Podbean App, Podchaser, Spotify, Amazon Music/Audible, TuneIn + Alexa, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM, Pandora and Listen Notes. And if you like what you hear, please leave a review on Apple podcasts. 

Filippo Felloni

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 Paradise Island, La Plagne, Metaponto, Haiti, Hammamet, and Ibiza, just to name a few. Please help me welcome, from Florence, Italy, Filippo Felloni, AKA, "Pippo"! A family member was working as a nurse in Club Med and thought Filippo would be a perfect fit, and the rest is history. Filippo worked in about 14 different villages in countries such as Italy, the Bahamas, France, Haiti, Mexico, Switzerland, Tunisia, Spain, and Indonesia. Along the way, he worked for Chiefs of Village Danny Stabielli, Lionel Benzoni, Dario Tognelli, Rico Paoletti, LouLou, Eric Peyronnet, Jimmy Chicheportiche, and Thierry Buche. After he left Club Med, Filippo stayed in the hospitality and tourism industry and is currently the General Manager of the 4-star hotel, Lungarno Vespucci 50 in Florence, Italy. Because Filippo and I worked two seasons together back-to-back in Playa Blanca and then Otranto in 1997, we talk about our fond, shared memories of the two villages. Filippo worked in some big villages such as Metaponto and Kamarina and I asked him while he was in Metaponto in 1995/1996, if they were doing “Baby Solo” there at the time. They were, and no spoilers, but you will have to listen to this interview to find out what a “Baby Solo” was (yikes)!! **My First Season podcast has always been ad-free and free to listen to and is available to download on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Samsung Podcasts, Podbean App, Podchaser, 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. 

Jason Stewart

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! Get this: Jason went to high school with my first-ever roommate in Club Med, and this G.O. is the one who got Jason the job at Club Med! The golf G.O. in St. Lucia had to leave, so this G.O. called Jason up and asked him if he wanted the position. Jason accepted, and the rest is history. Since I love hearing stories about G.O.s meeting, falling in love, and getting married, I asked Jason to go into detail on this story and he delivers! Jason shares an amazing celebrity encounter story from Paradise Island in 1994 with someone from the cast of ABC's “Growing Pains” and we talk about how Jason was briefly in Turks & Caicos during my first season in 1994, but we do not remember each other! At Turks, we both had the distinction of filling in for a certain God-like Landsports G.O. as “Rocky” in the “Rocky Horror Picture Show” and talk about that experience. And because Jason was a golf G.O., we geek out a little over the best golf movie ever made (in my opinion), the 1980s “Caddyshack”. Jason shares a very special story about choreographer Jonathan Rodriguez (RIP), that you will want to hear, concerning Jason’s wedding. I hope you enjoy this episode and walk down memory lane with us! **My First Season podcast has always been ad-free and free to listen to and is available to download on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Samsung Podcasts, Podbean App, Podchaser, 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. 

 

Kris Robinson

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 would see future 3x Masters champion, Phil Mickelson, on the golf course! Kris was President of the ASU International Tourism Student Association, and he initially did not want to go to the Club Med recruitment meeting when they came to ASU. It was only at the urging of his favorite professor that he agreed to attend. Kris was swayed by the Club Med presentation, in which 450 students applied and only 26 were chosen (Kris being one of them), and the rest is history. Kris worked in villages such as Eleuthera, Copper Mountain, Cancun, and Punta Cana. He did everything from DJ, Sailing, Ski Instructor, Bartender, Snorkeling/Picnic, and Landsports. He has very vivid memories of his first season in Paradise Island with CDV Fred Leroux and it was Kevin Batt’s first season as Chief of Sports. He went to his first season as a DJ, but Kevin wanted him on the sports team, so he did Sailing and also Snorkeling/Picnic that season. Kris lived in Greyleath, so of course I ask him about Paradise Island ghost stories, and he delivers! A natural storyteller, Kris has stories from all his seasons, so if you were an early 90s G.O., this episode is for you. Please enjoy! **My First Season podcast has always been ad-free and free to listen to and is available to download on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Samsung Podcasts, Podbean App, Podchaser, 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. 

Sophie Vaillancourt

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. S'il vous plaît, aidez-moi à accueillir de Montréal, l'étonnante et talentueuse Sophie Vaillancourt! Avant le Club Med, Sophie a participé à l'émission télévisée Star Académie au Québec en 2009, puis à la version canadienne de Deal or No Deal, Le Banqier, en 2009 et 2010. J'aurais pensé que Sophie avait commencé à chanter très jeune, mais j'ai été très surprise d'apprendre qu'elle n'avait commencé à chanter sur un micro qu'à l'âge de quatorze ans, lorsqu'elle est allée au Club Med Varadero en tant que G.M. avec sa famille! Comme moi, Sophie a travaillé trois fois au Columbus Isle mais contrairement à moi, et entre les saisons du Columbus Isle, elle est partie en Inde pour obtenir sa certification en yoga! Puis en 2018, elle s'est rendue à Bali pour une méditation de dix jours en silence. Après sa dernière saison à Columbus en 2019, elle est partie en Thaïlande pour un cours de yoga méditation avancé! Comme si cela ne suffisait pas, après le Club Med en 2011, elle a terminé son baccalauréat à l'Université de Montréal en éducation préscolaire et primaire et poursuit actuellement une maîtrise (je n'ai rien fait de ma vie!). Sophie est aussi une artiste du Club Med, donc si vous êtes chanceux, vous aurez l'occasion de la voir et d'entendre sa belle voix en personne. Profitez de cette entrevue avec Sophie Vaillancourt! **Le podcast My First Season a toujours été gratuit et sans publicité et peut être téléchargé sur: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Samsung Podcasts, Podbean App, Podchaser, Spotify, Amazon Music/Audible, TuneIn + Alexa, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM, Pandora et Listen Notes. Et si vous aimez ce que vous entendez, laissez un commentaire sur Apple Podcasts.

Découvrez sa musique sur Spotify:

Sophie Vaillancourt | Spotify

Et Instagram:

Sophie Vaillancourt (@sophievaillancourtyoga) • Instagram photos and videos

Pour écouter son duo avec Céline Dion sur Star Académie, rendez-vous au point 8:30:

Star Académie Medley 2009 - YouTube

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sophie Vaillancourt

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 amazing and talented, Sophie Vaillancourt! Before Club Med, Sophie was on the Canadian singing competition TV show, Star Académie in Quebec in 2009, and then she was on the Canadian version of Deal or No Deal called Le Banqier in 2009 and 2010. I would have thought Sophie started singing at a very young age, but I was very surprised to find out that she only started singing on a microphone when she was fourteen years old when she went to Club Med Varadero as a G.M. with her family! Like me, Sophie worked at Columbus Isle three times but unlike me, and in between seasons of Columbus Isle, she went to India to get her yoga certification! Then in 2018, she traveled to Bali for a ten-day meditation in silence. After her last season in Columbus in 2019, she went to Thailand for an advanced yoga meditation course! If that wasn’t enough, after Club Med in 2011, she finished her bachelor’s degree at the University of Montreal in Preschool and Primary Education and is currently pursuing a master’s degree (I have done nothing with my life!). Sophie is also a Club Med Artist, so if you are lucky, you will get to see her and hear her beautiful voice in person. I asked her if she would not mind singing a few bars of a song I love, and she kindly agreed, so make sure you listen to the whole interview!! Please enjoy this interview with Sophie Vaillancourt!! **My First Season podcast has always been ad-free and free to listen to and is available to download on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Samsung Podcasts, Podbean App, Podchaser, 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. 

Please check out Sophie's music on Spotify:

Sophie Vaillancourt | Spotify

And her Instagram:

Sophie Vaillancourt (@sophievaillancourtyoga) • Instagram photos and videos

And if you want to see her duet with Celine Dion on Star Académie, it’s at the 8:30 mark:

Star Académie Medley 2009 - YouTube

 

 

 

 

Brian Tranbarger

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 Alessandro Cordogli (RIP), to name just a few. Before Club Med, Brian studied Kinesiology and Teacher Education, did the Hammer Throw, and was a PE teacher. One of his roommates at Chico State went to Club Med with his father on vacation and told Brian how great it was. Brian applied, drove four hours to San Francisco to meet the Club Med recruiter, and then did Country Swing for his interview and the rest is history! Brian’s first season in Sandpiper had quite the talent: Nicole Cooper, Boone, Trevor Rae, Arano, Adam Macy, Jennifer Lopez, James Martin, JP Delay, JK, Vlad Mayllen, David Meyer, and Bruno Santos were just some of the names that were on the Sandpiper team of 2002. Brian also worked in Crested Butte, Turks and Caicos, Ixtapa, Cancun, and Columbus Isle and we talk about each of these seasons and the many stories that came with working with a great bunch of people. We review his favorite Crazy Signs, the three things he misses the most about Club Med, and if he would do anything different. Please enjoy this episode with Brian! **My First Season podcast has always been ad-free and free to listen to and is available to download on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Samsung Podcasts, Podbean App, Podchaser, 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.