My First Season

Stéphan Coté

I never got the chance to work together with my next guest, but his name has been mentioned before on this podcast and we do have 70 mutual friends. He worked for Club Med from 1987 to 1994 and his first season was in Club Med Eleuthera in April of 1987, as a Lifeguard and Swimming Instructor. From Montreal, Quebec, and now living in Las Vegas, please help me welcome, Stéphan Coté! Stéphan was also a Circus G.O., a Chief of Circus, and an Animator (in Copper Mountain), where he also got married. He met his future wife Lisa Pilot, who was a Mini Club G.O., in Club Med Punta Cana during the 1987/1988 season and they are still happily married to this day. Stéphan also helped set up the first circus village in Europe, which was Club Med Metaponto, Italy from April to September 1990. As you can imagine, Stéphan has a ton of stories and he has a story from his first season that is probably every first-season G.O.’s nightmare when you are starting a new job in Club Med, but he tells it in a very humorous fashion! Stéphan also mentions that Bob Christians was a big influence in his life, and he is fondly remembered here. He tells me something that I had never heard before and that is that Florida State University has a circus school called, “The FSU Flying High Circus”, which was founded in 1947 as an extra-curricular activity, and that they had been coming to Club Med since the early 80s. Stéphan brings up something else I had never heard of and that Club Med had run a summer camp called “Kids of the World” introduced in 1985, located at Copper Mountain. In this instance, Lisa had worked there during the summer and one of the activities was the flying trapeze, in addition to rafting excursions on the Colorado and Arkansas rivers. In 2010, Stéphan opened a Circus school in Las Vegas called “Trapeze Las Vegas” and we will get into that and so much more during this episode of MFS. So, “harness” yourself in (see what I did there?) and get ready to be entertained!! **My First Season podcast has always been ad-free and free to listen to and is available 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 Trapeze Las Vegas:

https://www.trapezelasvegas.com/

 

 

Bébert Herin

Mon invité d'aujourd'hui a travaillé pour le Club Med de 1971 à 1988. Sa première saison s'est déroulée au Club Med de Potiragnes, dans le sud de la France, en tant que chef d'orchestre. Il a également été animateur, chorégraphe, Resp. Trafic, chef d'animation, chef des sports, Resp. Chalet d'altitude et de 1981 à 1988, il a été chef de village. Aidez-moi à accueillir, s'il vous plaît, Robert «Bébert» Herin! Avant le Club Med, Robert avait un orchestre qui tournait beaucoup et il écrivait aux hôtels pour trouver du travail pour son orchestre. C'est sa sœur qui lui a suggéré de contacter le Club Med et le reste appartient à l'histoire. Robert a travaillé dans des villages tels que Cefalù, Corfou Ipsos, Pakostane, Malabata, Sveti Marko (pour n'en citer que quelques-uns) et il a également participé à l'ouverture du village de l'île Maurice en 1973/1974! En tant que chef de village, Robert a travaillé dans quatorze villages différents, y compris dans la zone américaine, et il nous fait part de quelques anecdotes intéressantes sur ces lieux exotiques. Sa première saison en tant que chef des sports s'est déroulée à Al Hoceima en 1976, où il s'est blessé à la jambe, mais où il a également rencontré sa future épouse, qui était G.M. Robert est également membre du «In Vino Jazz Band». C'est un orchestre de Jazz Swing festif et humoristique, qui joue les grands noms du jazz tels que Louis Armstrong et Sidney Bechet. Il a près de cinq mille abonnés sur sa chaîne YouTube pour le "In Vino Jazz Band". Robert est également un artiste du Club Med et visite chaque année différents villages du Club Med. Si vous étiez un G.O. dans les années 1970 ou 1980 ou si vous voulez simplement savoir comment était le Club Med à l'époque, cet épisode est pour vous ! Profitez de cet épisode avec Bébert! **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. 

Visitez sa chaîne YouTube pour In Vino Jazz Band et abonnez-vous!

https://www.youtube.com/@RobertHerin

 

 

 

Sophie Boyer

My guest today worked for Club Med from 1997 to 2001 as a Costume designer. She was sent to Club Med Sandpiper in 1997 for a stage, but her first season was in 1997/1998 in Club Med Playa Blanca. She is from my hometown of Montreal, so please help me give a warm welcome to, Sophie Boyer! Sophie worked in such villages as Turks and Caicos, St. Lucia, Paradise Island, and Columbus Isle. Sophie went to school for Theater Production (props, lights, sound, set, and costume design), but it was costume design that she really gravitated towards. Her father saw an ad that Club Med was hiring, she applied and was hired!! Playa Blanca in 1997/1998 with Houria Osmani as the CDV, was her most magical season and Sophie has many stories from this cherished time in her life. My favorite story of hers is the award that she won at the end-of-the-season Awards Show! Sophie was at Turks in Caicos in 1998 with the CDV LouLou, Gus as Chief of Animation, and Hendel as Chief of Sports and yes, we talk about that season too. Sophie met her share of celebrities during her time on Columbus Isle from 2000-2001. She met Antonio Sabàto Jr., Thierry Lhermitte, Mitsou, Claude Charlebois, Corey Hart and Julie Masse! After Club Med, Sophie worked for Cirque du Soleil from 2002-2020. She worked as a costume maker for Cirque du Soleil on such shows as Love, Ka, Zumanity, and Ovo, just to name a few and we will talk about that as well. Please enjoy this episode with Sophie! **My First Season podcast has always been ad-free and free to listen to and is available 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.

Makiko Omae

I had the pleasure of working with my guest today during the summer of 1996 in Club Med Columbus Isle. I knew her as a Scuba G.O. but her first season was in Club Med Sahoro in 1995 as a Mini Club G.O. Please help me welcome, the first Japanese EXGO to the podcast, Makiko Omae!! Makiko’s first experience with Club Med was at Club Med Bali as a G.M. with her parents. She worked for Club Med from 1995 to 1998 in resorts such as Moorea and Turks and Caicos. After Club Med, Makiko worked at Stuart Cove’s in Nassau, Bahamas as a shark feeder! Makiko worked for Chiefs of Village such as Kenton Smith, Patrice Prual, Patrizia Moretti, Kevin Batt and Xavier Gomila. Makiko shares a story about a once-in-a-lifetime encounter with a humpback whale and how JoJo in Turks would often single her out when she was trying to teach a diving course! We swap some Jean-Paul Morales stories from Columbus in ’96 and I ask her if shark feeding is as scary as it looks. Please enjoy this episode with Makiko!! **My First Season podcast has always been ad-free and free to listen to and is available 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.

Heather Corry

I had the pleasure of working with my guest today during an amazing season in Club Med Columbus Isle in 1999/2000. Her first season, however, was in Club Med St. Lucia in 1992/1993 as a Petit Club G.O. Please help me welcome, Heather Mousserin Corry!! Heather was working as a nanny in Germany when she applied to Club Med and then had her interview in Montreal. Heather worked for Club Med from 1992 to 2000 in villages such as St. Lucia, Sandpiper, Eleuthera, Magic Isle, and Phuket in 1996/1997 (where she would have her honeymoon eight years later!), to name but a few. Since we spent Y2K together in Columbus Isle in 2000, we talk about that shared experience and Heather not knowing who French actor Thierry Lhermitte was when she checked him in at that same resort. Heather takes us from her days as a Petit/Mini Club G.O. up to her promotion as Chief of Mini Club in Ixtapa in 1994/1995. After Club Med, Heather worked aboard the MS Paul Gauguin, the sister ship to the Club Med II, met her future husband on that ship, and now lives in Bordeaux, France teaching English as a foreign language and we will get into all of that! Please enjoy this interview with Heather! **My First Season podcast has always been ad-free and free to listen to and is available 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.

Harvey Richard S.

My guest today worked for Club Med from 1976 to 1979 and then returned in 1991. This first interview will focus on his early years. His first season was in Club Med Martinique as a Snorkeling and Picnic G.O. in 1976. From Montreal, Quebec, please help me welcome, Harvey Richard S., AKA Kid Mercury!! In later seasons, Harvey became an Animator, and he has quite the stories to tell from the early days. Harvey worked the first-ever winter season of Club Med Cancun in 1977 (with CDV Jacky Amzallag, Luc Distelmans as Animator, and another future CDV, Ye, on the Sports Team) and also worked at Club Med Moorea in 1979, as well. He recounts how he got his job in Club Med through his partner in crime, Eric, also from Montreal. You must hear Harvey’s famous (or infamous) animation gag that he and Eric played on the incoming and unsuspecting New York Charter at the airport in Martinique in 1977. Let’s just say that “Rocky and Joey” raised some heck! Harvey also published a children’s book called, “Stories for Souls of All Ages” that you can find on Amazon.com and everywhere you buy books, and we will talk a little about that. Harvey is a master storyteller, so you will really enjoy this episode about Club Med in the late 70s! **My First Season podcast has always been ad-free and free to listen to and is available 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 a video for his book!:

Stories For Souls Of All Ages - Available Now - YouTube

And his author's Facebook page:

https://m.facebook.com/KidMercuryAuthorEntertainer?eav=AfaDJxW1Jw8cib1Lnncs9hJR4ynaRnCi85DKbXfjQuDOnTwIsgcsaTVIb3cWVkKn_ac&paipv=0

 

 

 

 

 

Alex ElKayem

My guest today was born in Alexandria, Egypt then emigrated to Philadelphia in 1961. He got his B.A. and Master’s at Temple University and was 2 years into his Ph.D. when he decided to apply to Club Med. His first season was at Club Med Fort Royale in 1970 as a Tennis G.O., where only three weeks before, he was a G.M. in the same village! Altogether, he worked for Club Med from 1970 to 2001. Who is this mystery person? Well, it is the one and only, Alex ElKayem!! Alex only held three positions in Club Med villages. He worked one season as a Tennis G.O. and then he was in Public Relations from 1970-1973 and then he was promoted to Chief of Village and served from 1973-1976, working in such villages as Fort-Royal, Agadir, Cargese, Martinique, Marrakech, Caravelle, Hanalei in Hawaii and his last season as CDV was in Moorea. After village life, Alex went to work in the offices and held positions such as Directeur du Pays in the Club Med offices of Milano and Brussels, General Manager of the Sydney office from 1977-1979, and Managing Director of the Auckland New Zealand office from 1979-1983. After that, he was the Commercial Regional Manager in the Singapore office for South East Asia and then came to my hometown of Montreal to be the Managing Director for Club Med Canada from 1985-1993. After Montreal, he was the Managing Director of UK and Ireland in the London office from 1993-2001. Alex is now retired and living in Bordeaux, France, and is only the second person and the first EXCDV to record two interviews, one in English and one in French! If you like to hear about the golden years of Club Med in the early 1970s, then this interview is for you! **My First Season podcast has always been ad-free and free to listen to and is available 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.

Alex ElKayem

Mon invité d'aujourd'hui est né à Alexandrie, en Égypte, puis a émigré à Philadelphie aux États-Unis en 1961. Il a obtenu son baccalauréat et sa maîtrise à l'université Temple et était à deux ans de terminer son doctorat lorsqu'il a décidé de poser sa candidature au Club Med. Sa première saison s'est déroulée au Club Med Fort Royale en 1970 en tant que moniteur de Tennis, alors que trois semaines auparavant, il était G.M. dans le même village! Au total, il a travaillé au Club Med de 1970 à 2001. Qui est cette personne mystérieuse ? Il s'agit du seul et unique Alex ElKayem! Alex n'a occupé que trois postes dans les villages du Club Med. Il a travaillé une saison en tant que directeur général du tennis, puis il a été chargé des relations publiques de 1970 à 1973. Il a ensuite été promu chef de village et a travaillé de 1973 à 1976 dans des villages tels que Fort-Royal, Agadir, Cargèse, Martinique, Marrakech, Caravelle, Hanalei à Hawaï et sa dernière saison en tant que chef de village a été à Moorea. Après la vie au village, Alex a travaillé dans les bureaux et a occupé des postes tels que Directeur du Pays dans les bureaux du Club Med de Milan et de Bruxelles, Directeur Général du bureau de Sydney de 1977 à 1979 et Directeur Général du bureau d'Auckland en Nouvelle-Zélande de 1979 à 1983. Alex a ensuite été directeur régional commercial du bureau de Singapour pour l'Asie du Sud-Est, avant de venir à Montréal, ma ville natale, pour occuper le poste de directeur général du Club Med Canada de 1985 à 1993. Après Montréal, il a été directeur général du Royaume-Uni et de l'Irlande au bureau de Londres de 1993 à 2001. Alex est aujourd'hui à la retraite et vit à Bordeaux, en France. Il est la deuxième personne et le premier EXCDV à enregistrer deux interviews, l'une en anglais et l'autre en français. Si vous aimez entendre parler de l'âge d'or du Club Med au début des années 1970, cette interview est faite pour vous! **Le podcast My First Season a toujours été sans publicité et son écoute est gratuite. Il est disponible sur: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Samsung Podcasts, Podbean App, Spotify, Amazon Music/Audible, TuneIn + Alexa, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM, Pandora, Podchaser et Listen Notes. Et si vous aimez ce que vous entendez, veuillez laisser un commentaire sur Apple Podcasts.

Xavier Margain

My guest today worked for Club Med from 1993 to 1999 and held several positions such as Sailing, Snorkeling, Archery, Light Engineer, DJ, and Circus G.O. His first season was in Club Med Ixtapa in 1993 as a Telephone/Standard G.O. Please help me welcome, from Mexico City and now living in Quebec, Xavier Margain! Xavier worked in villages such as Huatulco, Playa Blanca (with Kenton Smith), Sonora Bay, Turks and Caicos, and Punta Cana. Xavier’s parents went to Club Med and thought he would be a good fit for Club Med. Years later after he graduated, Xavier was job hunting and walking around Polanco in Mexico City handing out résumés and he came across the Club Med office, walked in, had an interview, and then got a call the next day asking if he would like to work for Club Med. Xavier takes us through his interview with Club Med in Mexico, his first week in Ixtapa, and shares a pretty cool story about Kenton Smith in Playa Blanca in 1994 that I am sure many of you have not heard. Xavier also recounts a funny story involving the CDV Lefis in Huatulco in 1994 and you will love to hear his story about drinking rum and cokes with Spanish singer Julio Iglesias in Punta Cana and the story that Xavier shared with him. Xavier worked with a lot of special people in Club Med like Christy Harrington, Darwin, Batman, Salvatore Giarratana, Veronica Margellos, Laura Palmer, Rodrigo Tapia, Mary Kelly and Gecko, to name just a few. At the end of the interview, we share what we miss about Club Med and the adjustments we had to make in the “real world”. 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.

Joker and Renato

Hey everyone and welcome to a brand-new segment of My First Season. I do not have a name for the segment yet, but I have been workshopping the term, My First Season- “In Couple”. In this new feature of MFS, I will be interviewing a “couple” of G.O.s (see what I did there?) who have worked together during the same season. If there are three of you, we’ll simply call it In Thruple! So, any EXGOs who are very shy or not comfortable about coming on just by themselves, now you can come on with a friend or two that you worked with in the same village of Club Med and had a lot of laughs with. My guests today worked together in Club Med Paradise Island in 2001/2002. One was a Tennis G.O. and the other was Landsports and they are two of the founding members of the “Four Horseman” of Paradise Island. What the heck is a Horseman? Well, we will get into that and what these two guys are up to nowadays. So, without further ado, please help me welcome back to the podcast, James “Joker” Cradle and Renato Paiva!! Joker (Landsports) and Renato (Tennis) both remember meeting each other on Paradise Island and they share some stories about their time there. They never lost contact once their Club Med careers ended, and they fill me in on what they are up to these days. What Joker and Renato are up to is “Sports Fest Ixtapa 2024” which will be held on April 24-28, 2024, in Club Med Ixtapa! This unique event will allow you to compete in tennis, soccer, or pickleball against players with similar skill levels, making the games both challenging and enjoyable. This sports festival combines the thrill of competitive sports with the luxury and leisure of an all-inclusive resort Mexican resort. And yes, there is an EXGO discount. Please email Renato at: renato@sportsfestixtapa2024.com to enquire.

Please visit their website below for more details on this one-of-a-kind event:

Sports Fest (sportsfestixtapa2024.com)