Private Club Radio Show
Welcome to the Private Club Radio Show, the industry's weekly source for education, news, trends, and other current developments in the world of private clubs.
Hosted by the talented entertainer and industry expert, Denny Corby,
the podcast offers a unique perspective on the private club industry, featuring expert guests, product spotlights, predictions, and more.
Whether you're involved in a golf club management, yacht clubs, athletic clubs, or business clubs, the Private Club Radio Show is the essential podcast for
anyone seeking valuable insights and information on the latest trends and developments in the private club industry.
Private Club Radio Show
439: Horsepower and Hospitality-Building a Country Club on a Racetrack w/ Ionel Porumb
Forget everything you think you know about private clubs.
At Monticello Motor Club, the luxury isn’t just on the track, it’s in every detail, every experience, every smile.
And leading the charge is Ionel Porumb, a hospitality powerhouse whose journey from Romania to the C-suite is as inspiring as it gets.
After working his way from cruise ship crew utility to management roles at Mar-A-Lago and Woodway Country Club, Ionel now serves as General Manager and COO of MMC, helping transform it into a full-scale resort destination for racing enthusiast.
In this episode, we explore:
The bold vision behind Monticello Motor Club’s future growth.
How Ionel builds staff culture by combining empathy, excellence, and high expectations.
The real meaning of attention to detail — from landscaping the grounds to designing member experiences.
His incredible path from immigrant to leader, and what chasing the American Dream really looks like.
Plus, what it takes to keep both members and million-dollar race cars safe — without sacrificing fun.
Ionel’s story is a testament to grit, gratitude, and big dreams.
If you’re passionate about leadership, culture, hospitality, or just want to hear from someone who lives and breathes excellence — this is your episode.
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Hey everybody, welcome to the Private Club Radio Show, where we give you the scoop on all things private golf and country clubs from mastering leadership and management, food and beverage excellence, member engagement secrets, board governance and everything in between, all while keeping it fun and light. Whether you're a club veteran just getting your feet wet or somewhere in the middle, you are in the right place. I'm your host, denny Corby. Welcome to the show In place. I'm your host, denny Corby. Welcome to the show In this episode.
Speaker 1:You are all in for a ride pun very much intended as I get to chat with Yanel Porub, who is the GM of one of the most unique clubs I've ever seen or been to the Monticello Motor Club. The club is unreal and Yanel's story is even more unreal. We talk about his rise through the industry, from H-2B visa serving back bartending, but originally starting off cleaning crew quarters on a cruise ship, to now managing high-end hospitality at the Monticello Motor Club, which is a private racetrack and luxury auto playground for some of the most passionate car lovers in the entire world. Yenel's journey is all about hustle, gratitude and heart and how he's not just managing a club but helping build a resort-style experience resort-level experience for members who spend their weekends chasing lap times instead of birdies. So we talk about how Monticello is turning a motorsport into a full-service luxury destination, with so much more to come that he talks about that they're adding to the venue. Janelle is sharing how he is bringing country club style service to a racetrack and how he's building a true team culture from the ground up. The club is amazing, but Yanel's story is even better and I am so excited for you all to listen and dive into it. He is the definition of earned leadership. He's thoughtful, driven and deeply committed to giving both his members and his staff the kind of experience that he would want. This episode has inspiration, big ideas and just some hilarious stories you are not going to want to miss. I am so, so, so excited to have him on and for you to listen.
Speaker 1:Before we get to the episode, though, really quick, quick. Thank you to some of our show partners. Always like to give thanks and support the people who support our channel Kennes Member, vetting Members First Club Capital Group Golf Life Navigators and Concert Golf Partners, as well as myself. Shameless plug the Denny Corby Experience. There's excitement, there's mystery. Also there's magic, mind reading, comedy and crowd work. One of the most fun member and vet nights you will have, guaranteed. Want to learn more? Head on over to Den DannyCorbycom. Enough about that, though. Let's get to the episode. Private Club Radio listeners. Let's welcome to the show, yanel Porub.
Speaker 2:It was good to have an insight of what's going on.
Speaker 1:I want to see how the service levels that you offer things that people would never think of that's correct, and I think it's more like a resort kind of thing.
Speaker 2:You know, daniel, like when you go to a resort in vacation with your family and this is one of our goals it's, you know, have the members come here on a Friday and stay Friday, saturday, sunday and they spend the whole weekend. You live in crazy Manhattan and you drive up here, you relax and you have a wonderful time with your family. I think that will be in the future, especially when we're going to get the spa and the pool and the tennis courts. It's going to be a vacation far away from your crazy Manhattan busy day. Forget about work, forget about everything and just come and enjoy it here, and that's how we give as much service as possible.
Speaker 1:It's like the stuff that people leave places going. Oh, I wish they would have been cool if they did that. You guys do that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's true.
Speaker 1:That's true, but no, I think my favorite part whole the whole thing, I think so far is the attention to detail where there's no hard walls or curbs that a car can run into, like.
Speaker 2:I think just that level of detail is like because again you have members that they spend so much money not only to become a member but to buy those beautiful cars, and then what we want from them is to come to have a wonderful time, take their car out of the garage and in the end of the day put it back and you go home happy that you have a phenomenal job and nothing happens. So safety, it's our top, top, top priority. At the track, you. So safety, it's our top, top, top priority. Uh, at the track, you know it's, it's, except the hospitality and the detail and the food and beverage and those little tiny things. Safety from far away, it's, it's, it's top priority, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:And you grew up romania, romania, romania, romania and then worked on a cruise ship yeah, great memory Cleaning the employees area. Not even the nice areas.
Speaker 2:No, so the name of the job at that time on the cruise ship it was crew utility. So I was cleaning the entire area where the crew members were actually leaving and shower and do whatever they have to do, uh, which you know you have to do it. So I did it for some time, um, and then after after a while, I moved my way up into the crew utility staff mess, which, uh, is where the employees are eating. So I was just preparing the food for them and cleaning after them. That was another thing. And then in the end, kind of as a promotion, it was crew bar.
Speaker 2:That was my favorite part of the of the working on a cruise ship was the best part. It's um, and I think even these days every single cruise ship they have a bar dedicated to the staff with the best prices, I mean. But that was good and wear my way up and become a bar waiter and after a few years I left the cruise ship industry. You know it was tough. Imagine you go to military and you wear a uniform without days off, but here you were getting paid. Yeah, it was tough.
Speaker 1:And it was what made you get out, Because it wasn't there, like.
Speaker 2:To get out of the cruise ship. Yeah, it wasn't like it was an incident. Yeah, in 2010, we were going from Barcelona, it was upon Barcelona, it was. I think it was from Barcelona. We're going to france, to marseille, and there was a big, big, big wave that hit the ship. It was like a 20 foot uh tall, uh wave that hit the ship and crash into and we have a over 20 people that they got injured and we have, uh, um, two people that actually lost their life. And that's when I say you know what I'm done with this, this is just too much yeah.
Speaker 1:And you're how old at that point?
Speaker 2:Oh my God, I was 24, 24, going 25, 25 years old. Yeah, it was a hell of an experience, for sure.
Speaker 1:And then what you applied for an H2. I did and you landed in connecticut.
Speaker 2:so my sister, uh, was in usa at that time I think she was working at lost tree club in palm beach okay gardens, florida and she told me you are done with the cruise ships. This is an application go and apply an H-2B visa with this company. And that's exactly what I did and I applied and I got an interview and you know all the whole process. I passed the interview, I got my visa and I ended at Woodway Country Club in Connecticut on May 7, 2010. And it was one of the best decisions ever. You remember the exact day. Yeah, I will never forget it. Yeah.
Speaker 1:And then what was like the first step in Because you were at the bar worked your way up from there. What was like your first job at the clubs, at the clubs.
Speaker 2:Actually I was a server at that time when I arrived to my petition for an H-2B visa. I was a server and I came to Woodway and I just, you know, show my uh work attic and the manager at that time his name was Eduardo um, he actually saw me working and he was like, hey, go behind the bar. He was kind of testing me to see if I know things. But in my mind I just wanted to show him that, hey, I can do things. So then he promoted me to be a bartender. Then one day someone from Trump organization was there for recruiting and they saw me and they offered me a job to go to work at Mar-a-Lago. So that's what I was doing. For two years I was bartender of Woodway Country Club and then I would go server at Trump International in Palm Beach.
Speaker 2:Go back to Woodway and someone told me to my sister again, apply for the green card lottery. So I did apply for the green card lottery and I won. And that's how I got my green card through the lottery visa. And once the green card lottery and I won. And that's how I got my green card, yeah, through the lottery visa. And once the green card, you know, came.
Speaker 2:I was like this is, you know, opens all the opportunities to sky's the limit.
Speaker 2:I'm going to live the American dream and just work hard, be extremely positive, not being afraid of challenges and asking.
Speaker 2:I was always asking like I would like to do something more and the whole like I would like to do something more and the whole credit I got to give it to the ex-GM of Woodway, steve McVeigh, which he saw huge potential in me and almost every year he promoted me from a captain to a bar manager, to an assistant manager and then in 2017, he offered me a full-time job as a director of service. It's when I left Palm Beach and the Trump organization, when I was their transportation manager, which was cool, it was a beautiful job, but I say I want to have a career path in the country club industry. So I accepted Woodway job and I just built my way up to you know, working hard, prove what we can do and and put members first. You know that was everything for me always member expectations and my staff, because everything I accomplish 100, even now getting this job it was because of my staff that used to work with me at Woodway.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah. How did you end up with the transportation position? Oh my God, what was that? How do you go from food and beverage to transportation?
Speaker 2:Oh, that's a good one, it's a funny one actually. So I was a server at the Trump International and my dream was always to become an FBI agent. You believe it or not, it's crazy, don't even ask. And I went. After I got my green card I say like, yes, my dream is going to come true. And I went and I studied criminal justice and I graduate. I have a bachelor's degree in criminal justice.
Speaker 2:So then I say to the management of Trump International hey, I'm in school, the money that I make right now as a server is not enough. I want to do something extra. So they give me an opportunity to do valet. And I start being valet, you know, driving fancy cars and all that. And one time Donald Trump, president Trump, was coming and I say, hey, you know what I want to drive you around.
Speaker 2:One time Donald Trump, president Trump, was coming and I say, hey, you know what I want to drive you around. One time, like my jokes and just speaking out, being open to talk about those things. And actually he said go and talk to Brian was the name of the guy at that time who was the transportation manager. And I asked him and here we go. I was a server and a transportation guy driving people around and I think it was after a year he quit his job because he was moving to do something else and I'm so ready to take this opportunity. You know I'm right here. So I took it, for I think it was like two years. But I was missing the opening the bottle of wine. I was missing the opening the bottle of wine. I was missing the serving, the food, and you know all those kind of things you miss then once you have that hospitality that hustle and bustle exactly so.
Speaker 2:That's when I was the manager of the transportation department and Woodway offered me the director of service and I was like you know what? I know I can grow up big time if I do that. So that's how I ended up by asking. I know I can grow up big time if I do that. So that's how I ended up by asking. The art of asking, ringing at the right place, the art of the ask. It was fun. It was fun.
Speaker 1:What did that entail? What's the director of transportation like for an organization?
Speaker 2:So at that time it wasn't't that big. I think we were having like six or seven cars in our fleet uh, from escalates to rolls royce phantoms, my back and, um, I think there were only like three drivers that they were working with me while scheduling and pick up of all the trump family when they were coming in town at that time and all their guests and, of course, any other member in the club, because the transportation department was a part of the hospitality that Mar-a-Lago and Trump National, jupiter and Trump International will offer to their members A very high end, very high end service. Yeah, you know, picking up from the airport or any other going for a dinner. You know how it's found. It's all the fancy things.
Speaker 1:Yep, that's neat. And then, how did Monticello Motor Club come into play?
Speaker 2:So I mentioned to you that the employees, they were the ones that helped me out through my whole career. Yeah, and that's the reality. Because even when I got the director of service at Woodway, Steve would always ask the employees and the employees would say, oh my God, you know, he's just amazing with us, he does a great job. So that's when, bless you, that's when he would promote me and give me different opportunities and challenges. So Monticello Motor Club actually the owner, Paul Quilly, a funniest man that you can meet and, of course, very successful he came for dinner at Woodway Beach Club in I think it was in June of 2021. It was a busy evening. You know, I have my pre-shift meeting and I'm like guys. You know, I always ask you for one thing from 6 o'clock in the afternoon until 9 o'clock Focus on your stations. Be at your stations, Be with the members, Be with your guests, Provide the best service that you can do and after that, you know, we can chat, we can, you know, do whatever you want to do, but please just focus on the customers. Give me three hours. I see this. There were a table of four people and I see every single employee goes to that table. What's going on in here? Was he passing out $100 bills? I didn't even think about the tips. I thought about okay, you guys know that that guy. I didn't even know him at that time. I just knew that his brother is a member of Woodway. So I called all the servers and I called him in the kitchen. I'm like I want you guys to stop. I understand that his brother is a member, but stop bothering him. No one told me a word. So then, you know, time comes in the end and he's approaching me when on his way out, and he's like, uh, out of nowhere, I want you to work for me. I'm like, okay, thank you, what a good joke. Everyone's in my head, everyone says that. So he gave me his business card and I was like all right, I went to the computer, I type the place, I look and I'm like I don't know if I want to go in the middle of nowhere and I like challenges, I want to have fancy. You know country clubs. I want to. This is what I want to offer.
Speaker 2:And then I went and I met him the second day and he says listen, I really want to hire you. I want you to work for me and I want you to build me a country club there. So I came here, I saw the place, I saw the potential that is in the place. I talked to him about his vision and what he wants to take this place and you know I was like, oh my God, this you know he's not joking. I told him what I want, not only as a financial perspective, but at the same time, staff culture, staff house that I show you. And he accepted everything and I was like, oh my god, this guy really, really, really want to do the best country club in the whole world.
Speaker 2:So, long story short, how I got here. Then I found out the real story that the owner at Paul Paul was inviting every single individual at the table and asked them who's your manager? And they said that guy, how is your manager? My manager is the best guy in the whole world. And he was like you know what? At that moment I said I'm going to hire you, no matter what it takes, because you have that spirit, Plus every single server. They were like so young, but they looked like they are in the military. They were making such an excellent service. So that's how everything came from a dinner, from a service and my hard work. It paid off by providing to what I learn to offer to our members.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it must feel good to be in a position to also help so many others and to get what you want to help them. Oh, yes, absolutely. Like the housing yes, and it's nice and it's on brand for the club as well. It's not just a thrown up, you know, I forget what they even call them. Like pole barns, it's a well done. Or the monkey house, it's a well done. Building yes, and it's on brand with the whole club itself too. Like cars and like that yeah, not rusticic. I don't know what the feel with the word I'm going for is. I don't know interior design stuff, but it just all fits, it all works. Yeah, it all looks so good.
Speaker 2:so then, in most of the things that I did since I started working in this industry, um, and all the places that I run I do two. One of the things is I put myself in an employee's shoes and how I want the employee to be treated. And the other thing, I put myself in a member's shoes and how I want the members to be treated. And you combine those two together and you give an amazing service to your members and to your staff, because you're going to treat them the way you want to be treated by a manager and you're going to treat them the way you want to be treated by a manager and you're going to treat the members the way you feel you would like to be treated if you go somewhere to spend your money or dinner or something like that.
Speaker 1:And from this perspective, I put myself now in three situations the owner, the employees and the members, because we are a profit club that we got to make also financial, great financial decisions, you know, yeah but I think that all it all just helps, because there's so many places you go and they'll make the employee areas or you know what they're just met and it's like we have all these people spending a stupid amount of money. Yeah, for an experience, but it's like you can't just toss a little bit over, yeah and that's what we did.
Speaker 2:So we uh, when we create a staff house again, I say I've been in a staff house. I know what is missing all our employees. They stay alone in their rooms. They have a lot of showers that that they can share. Nobody's ever, ever gonna wait for something like that. A huge laundry room, which no one would ever wait for, a dryer or washing machine, and even the living rooms. You saw, we have two that someone can go and play games and the other one can go and stay and watch movies or it's. It's quiet and at the same time, two uh patios that you don't have. Only you know. So I didn't even notice the two different pads?
Speaker 1:yeah, in the back.
Speaker 2:So that's why it's like we thought a lot about, uh, what would be good? Because you're going to be far away from home. You know we bring people from South Africa, romania. We have a lot of guys that come from Stanford, which is like two hours and a half away from here, and they actually stay in the staff house. So it's important too we have two suites, because, in case that we get a married couple, we want to accommodate them and stay together.
Speaker 1:So it's all very well thought to make sure they have a good experience.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and you really don't have too many people, you know, 60 full-time and then 160, yes, 160, uh, in season, but as a full-time off-season we have 60 employees. Yeah, it's not bad. It's kind of like a, I would say, medium kind of medium country club, you know.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:We give a lot of time off to our staff. You know Some of my management that they work a lot, especially food and beverage. They are off like six months. I don't bring them in. We close in November first, first week of november and then he's off december, january, february, march and the end of the march I'm thinking back five months off. I mean you can't be dead but they're probably.
Speaker 1:It's probably when you're working here. Oh yes, oh yes oh yes.
Speaker 2:Ranking, oh yes, oh yes, especially like I mentioned the month of july. Oh yeah, that's gonna be crazy, but yeah, it's a perk.
Speaker 1:It's a perk you know to well, some people have got, some people don't, and I think you're building just with everything. You've built something here that, like it, creates a culture of you, either like in it or like you're not too. It's like kind of this is who we like, this is who we are like you, and you have to almost really appreciate vehicles yes, yes, yes.
Speaker 2:So far, I think everyone who I have, they do have that.
Speaker 1:Yeah, they know, they they appreciate I haven't seen one, not like somewhat interesting car.
Speaker 2:Yeah, from most of the employees too, it's true, and especially if you see it's summertime when all the employees are here, even our hospitality team. Uh, all of them. They. They're just passionate about cars. Yeah, but we hired a lot of them from Woodway.
Speaker 1:I took some guys that follow me Stealing everybody.
Speaker 2:Ah, stealing, like I mentioned to you, wing Food we got guys, which they do a phenomenal job. Forget, I think it's Aberdeen Aberdeen Golf Club in Florida or something we have also, so it's a lot of when we hire um, especially after I joined in 2021, we got a lot of country club mentality so we can shift it into what the owner wants, the country club industry and the white white glove service in uh in this place.
Speaker 1:So so before you came like, were there like what, what was missing? Before you came like like when you showed up, what if I?
Speaker 2:have to say one thing attention to detail. Attention to detail from the grounds perspective, uh, which we build a whole landscaping team. Attention to detail from hospitality, which was almost zero and we brought it to a different level, and attention to detail of everything, of every single thing. That's what I would say. Attention to detail which you have it in every single country club that you go. Now you know kind of.
Speaker 1:I don't know what I've seen here so far. I don't think I've seen in some. Everything just feels like on brand and on point yes, that's, that's correct. It's like it's just it's refreshing it is.
Speaker 2:And again, the owner and his family they have, even if this is a small part of their business, but they love this place and they have a beautiful vision and any great ideas they go with. Yeah, you know, they don't. We all the money that we make we invest back in the club and building new, new facilities, new programs to the members. It's something exceptional. So it's it's important to have someone also with a big vision and who will support your decisions. You know, because I don't have a board. Yeah, you know how it is. Sometimes you have great decision and great vision, but then someone in the board can say I'm not so sure. Yes, and it's very hard to please everyone here, we gotta please one which is a really important one.
Speaker 1:It's the most important one. Well, I just even remember when I came. I don't think the I'm gonna have to go back and look at the look at came. I don't think the I'm going to have to go back and look at the video. I don't think the landscaping was as good, oh impossible. And it's one of those like you don't need it to be, but it helps. It's perfect Because, like when you're driving, you know that fast it's not, but it's just nice. Yes, just seeing the line.
Speaker 2:And it's important. It's important for us as professionals that we grow up like, for example. For myself, it's extremely important everything to be perfect. Yeah, because, again, attention to detail is the key. It's important not to have a piece of paper on the floor. It's important the grass to be cut perfect. So those things are what makes this place unique. Yeah, you, frankly yeah, oh, that would have been nice. You see how she thinks ahead. No, he's a wonderful guy. I love him.
Speaker 1:He's the one you stole from, not stole.
Speaker 2:I offered him an opportunity. So I the opportunity could have been Frankie was at the Bedford and he came to. I was looking for a chef and when he came here, I don't think he was very, extremely excited because again, you saw a small kitchen and you're like, seriously, I want to be a chef here and blah, blah, blah. So then we talk, we talk and I was like, frankie, this it might not be what you are used to, but guess what? I'm hiring you to help me out to build a country club, to help me out to build a culinary team, to help me out to build a food and beverage team, to help me out to build a program. I say you want to have a challenge, that's a challenge.
Speaker 2:Or if you want to go somewhere else to be a chef with a big kitchen, that is already everything done for you. This is not the place here, with a big kitchen. That is already everything done for you. This is not the place here is where we're going to build something together and that's what we did. We build, we took it from zero and we build it to work to, to where we are today, which is a, you know, spectacular service that we offer to the members and we have a wonderful, wonderful food and beverage team and culinary team.
Speaker 2:Now yeah my chef used to be a percent of the the new chef that we have, which is extremely talented, yeah. So it was a little bit of a challenge for him and I say you help me out to do that and the doors to big opportunities is going to be open to you in a second, and that's why I clubhouse manager, assistant general manager, and he's just killing it. He's on the right path, yeah.
Speaker 1:It seems like he's enjoying it too. Oh yes, oh yeah, yeah. What's it like coming over to a new country? What's it like just uprooting your life?
Speaker 2:You know it was a challenge. It can be tough, but I think it's all how you take it in perspective. Hmm, that's a good question. I think maybe I'm different because since my day one I fell in love with the United States. Since the day one I will never forget, I say to my brother-in-law I will never, ever work in Romania again. I will build my career here. And he was like oh, never say that. You never know when you're going to go back home.
Speaker 2:And look at me after 15 years I'm still here. So it was a challenge. I think just because I was working in the country club industry, where the culture is so diverse, where you have so many different nationalities that work, it was so much easier to adapt to and not having a challenge. I personally maybe because of the way I think, which I'm always positive, and because I'm always active, energetic, not afraid of challenges, not afraid of making mistakes, not afraid of saying I'm sorry or I don't understand I think that makes my life a little bit easier. I can talk that about other people that they moved to the United States and what challenges they have, but for me I would say Everyone welcomed me in a very, very nice way and I'm very grateful for that.
Speaker 1:Yeah, Was there something that happened? Were you in hospitality in Romania? You?
Speaker 2:ready? Not at all. I wanted to come to USA to make money, to go back home to pay to become a police officer. How crazy is that? And that's why, also, I went to the cruise ship first, but then usa and cruise ship changed my yeah, everything into hospitality, from the criminal justice guy into hospitality. Oh my god, what a difference. Night and day, night and day, yeah, night and day.
Speaker 1:It's crazy I want to be a police officer too, did you? Yep, yep, but I was like I would have been horrible because I go zero to bitch in like half a second, like I am not, yeah, the first one to like go into a dark room, like oh, I see, I'm calling backup for everything, like I'm not, I just pulled over my dad every morning.
Speaker 2:I don't know why. It was always. It was always a dream, you know. I think it's the car, I don't know, Maybe maybe the car, maybe the suits, I don't know. It is weird. And I was fascinated by languages. So when I used to work on a cruise ship, you know, there was so many different nationalities and I would speak Italian, Spanish, Romanian, French and English, and even now I can communicate in those languages and I always say like, hey, that can help me out to do something in the. Then it's changed, you know, Changed Woodway, changed my Woodway and the whole place. Woodway, Trump, Lostry I work here at Lostry Club.
Speaker 1:It's weird how cars are a weird common theme between all the bits to lead you to here. Like police officers driving police cars. That's actually true. And then transportation, and then you end up at like that's actually true.
Speaker 2:Very strange. I was talking to the wheels have always been in motion.
Speaker 2:I will show you a picture. It's crazy. I was showing them. The wheels have always been in motion. I will show you a picture. It's. It's crazy. I was showing to, uh, to my friends I was talking the other day and I was like, can you imagine? So? Back in the days when I was 18 years old, I used to own a bmw e30 1989, which is a beautiful, beautiful, beautiful car. That time was very. Now it's like over $100,000. So I used to do drag racing and a lot of like racing with the cars and we always, sometimes when we talk with my friends, we always joke like, can you imagine you, the guy who used to love cars and do drag racing and everything else, show up with your little car? Now you run a race club? That's weird. It is weird because now goes back to what you mentioned. Maybe the police car was what I fall in love with, maybe these cars, then transportation manager, and now here it's cars, kind of like bring around. It all comes full circle. It's my circle. Yeah, yeah, but I love cars.
Speaker 1:Four-wheel drive. It's my circle, yeah, yeah, but I love cars Four-wheel drive. What's your?
Speaker 2:dream car, my dream car.
Speaker 1:Don't worry about maintenance costs. There's a magic genie. Hey, it's your dream car.
Speaker 2:You know, I don't know why Lamborghini, I don't know why, what kind I think at this point, it doesn't matter. Know why Lamborghini, I don't know why, what kind I think at this point doesn't matter, just a Lamborghini. I will say so seriously yeah, I don't know, always, always. But there was things, you know, growing up, I always dreamed to have an M3, and I got it. Then I say, when I grow up and I have a good job, I'm going to get an X5, and I got it. Then I say, when I grow up and I have a good job, I'm going to get an X5. And I got it. But Lamborghini was always playing with the toys and say Lamborghini, aventador, you know. So that's what I would say. I make it like nice and beautiful.
Speaker 1:Which M3 is, or was your dream one? E30.
Speaker 2:That's the 2000? The one that I got it? The 1989. And guess what's my dream car right now, If I don't have the Lamborghini? An E30. 1989, if I can have it.
Speaker 1:I think mine is a. Is it the E92? Is that from like 2007? 2006, 2004? Yeah, but it's that body style. M3 Laguna Seca blue, that is my… your car, that is that. Or a matte black Lamborghini, also Lamborghini Murcielago, gated like manual, just that big MF-er, just that With the… I don't know, it's just a machine. Yeah.
Speaker 2:And what I saw that I like also, it's comfort. I like comfort like that's. I like the seven series, because you know you go an hour and a half just comfort to be, to be, but those, yeah, lamborghini, lamborghini will be my, my top one car and then do you are?
Speaker 1:are they? Are they a common car here? A?
Speaker 2:lot-hmm.
Speaker 1:A lot, a lot, a lot. Out of all the cars, which one is? I'm going to say the word let's see? I'm going to say the word reliable, but you're not buying the car which one breaks the most. But reliability isn't really a factor with this situation. But what car do you see can take a beating? Which car do you see on the track a beating like? What car do you see on the tracks like damn they could they could take, I think, the porsche.
Speaker 2:The porsche, they can take a beating those cars. Yeah, that makes sense. Those, those cars are like. They can take it. Yeah, yeah, they can. It was meant for this. Yeah, I think, and I'm not mistaken, they were the first who built race cars too. That I don't know. I think so. I'm not sure. I think they were the first who came out with like a factory build. That's why they're so good. But don't quote me on that, don't post that.
Speaker 1:No, this guy doesn't know his job. Get him out of here. So what's next for you? Is it trying to build this up? Do you think this is?
Speaker 2:You know I love challenges. Of course, I would like to see this place where we're planning to take it. Yeah, I want to see the other racetrack that we are building. I want to see the hotel with a beautiful restaurant, with the spa, with the tennis courts, the pool and all that resort kind of type of feeling. I want to work hard and become the ceo of the place, uh, but I'm never close to opportunities. If something happened and challenges come around. You know, uh, I love challenges. You know I'm not afraid of that. I love challenges and and this was a big challenge and I see, uh, what a huge impact I make in this place.
Speaker 1:I'm not afraid, afraid of taking any challenges when you have a good backing. You have a good support group behind you. That's like sounds good.
Speaker 2:Yeah, but that will be the next step. I think the next step is to take this place even further, to a different level, finalize all the constructions. My goal will become to yes, to be a CEO.
Speaker 1:I feel like there's a lot to challenge here too. Oh yes, there's a lot. Oh, yes, there's a lot. And then, even if you don't feel challenged, I feel like you can just say, hey, what about this? Like, all right, you can just throw a challenge in there, and it would be cool, there is always something.
Speaker 2:There is always something, I think that lake is cool.
Speaker 1:Just something with power and power sports and water.
Speaker 2:So back in the days it was very cold here, but now it's not that crazy cold anymore Climate change, I don't know what, but that lake used to get a lot of ice and they used to drive those little things that I show you in the service center, the things that I show you in the in the service center. But maybe you know not sure exactly what the laws are from the, from from having an engine on the lake in the cat skills, it might be yes, it might be no, I'm not sure exactly. Maybe you're allowed to use just paddle boards or something. I'm not sure there. I'm sure there is some laws for that.
Speaker 1:just because of the well then, at that case, you just build your own lake exactly hey boss, I need to build a lake. What I need some digging equipment. What?
Speaker 2:you're planning to do a lake, sir, where?
Speaker 1:in the middle.
Speaker 2:I want to use a jet ski. It might be shocking to say like do it? Oh, wow, that'd be really funny. Yeah, no, there is, there is something that, uh, I gotta figure out here, you see in the middle. Yeah, I want to do something else, but I'm not bumper boats, I'm not sure them. Yet what bumper boats? I don't know. I don't know boats, I don't know water, I don't fountains. You know water and animals getting in there and out there. You know, if you have like a fountain and it's a windy day, water coming on the track slippery, you know you gotta again, safety, it's, it's, it's a huge, huge priority here. Yeah, so now, just beautiful green grass to see, you know, now it's yellow, it's winter time, unless you make like a walking bridge and you put like something over it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, not sure like a little event space, not sure not sure about that.
Speaker 2:You gotta make a time landing the clubhouse to reach out. There it is. It is a huge safety liability to do. I thought I did something that is crazy and it takes so much more to yep to make sure you save someone to use it. Oh yeah, that's pretty much it we talk a lot. Yeah, talk a lot we. We share a lot of things, you know, even like the clear it's so funny, so funny, weird stuff, so weird.
Speaker 1:I should have you one time in the. I should have you one we share a lot of things, you know.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's so funny, so funny Weird stuff, so weird. I should have you one time in the. I should have you one time in the summertime to come up here in a race car and have a podcast with one of my drivers while in the car. You know that would be something. Say when that would be something hilarious.
Speaker 1:I'll wear diapers and no, I don't think.
Speaker 2:I think you like that. Oh, trust me, you like adventures, you like speed, you like all the crazy things. Yeah, I've gotten, but no, it's good. Like I mentioned to you, it's a phenomenal place that we built. We're extremely happy with what we are doing, extremely happy um the path that we're taking. I'm extremely happy with my career goal and where I reach in a I would say, in a short period of time. And then, um, what you've been in the american dream. You know this is for me.
Speaker 1:You know and and I'm you, you know it's there's, there's, there's people who have an opera, you know who, who have everything at their fingertips, and just they don't want to take it or just you know, I don't know. I hate to say like their, their feelings get hurt, but it's like you know, everything correct, correct to fight like, yeah, crazy in what 14 years.
Speaker 2:14 years, crazy, that's so cool. 14 years from an h2b visa to a general manager. In to this place.
Speaker 1:In in for sure, the most amazing place I've seen in a in a I think, just to have that, like that much trust in you to run this as well, Like it's not just like golf clubs and you know people who have money, it's people who have money and what they love, like in their toys, like that's.
Speaker 2:That's crazy, that's a whole other level of trust. Yeah, and again, I have a wonderful owner who's so supportive. You know, we, we communicate almost every single day. He's in florida and his son is in connecticut, in new canaan. Uh, we talk, we, you know, we share. I learn a lot of things from them. Uh, they, they, you know, they're very understandable, but, yeah, it's, it's a lot of trust, for sure. Yeah, and I'm I'm very grateful for that. You know it's. Yeah, you hire me to do something and that's what I'm going to give you back, you know it's. You hire me to do something and that's what I'm going to give you back, you know.
Speaker 1:That's amazing and I'm sure that helps, as a leader, to just having that background, learning at least understanding little bits of the languages and just understanding the cultures and all of that. So even if it doesn't matter who you run into, you have that ability to chameleonize and just interact and engage, and it might not be perfect but at least people, I think, can understand and appreciate the gesture of it.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, that's for sure. Yeah, yeah, that's for sure. You got to see the tanks in action. That's what you got to see. I saw you were excited with that.
Speaker 1:Don't even that's what you've got to see. I saw you were excited with that. Don't even. That's a whole other episode talking about the tanks. Oh my God, yeah, yeah. So call back. He showed there's a whole off-roading area and they have tanks that you can they strap you in on and you go run over cars. It's crazy, yeah.
Speaker 2:It's so much fun, that's actually a fun. Yeah, it's so much fun, that's actually a fun. Yeah, it's a fun thing to see it, but yeah, I think I don't know if it's something else that I you know to mention. You can talk about this all day long.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I know, I know. No thanks for coming on. This is going to be one of many, I know for sure.
Speaker 2:Yeah, Thank you for coming, danny, and I'm happy you, you took your time to come and see here, because the best way I always say to people there's me what is that place? And I'm like, think about the most beautiful golf course, county cloud, the golf course, with all the amenities, from ballroom, from pro shop shop to restaurants to whatever, and our picture instead of the golf course, a racetrack Instead of a golf cart and clubs, a race car Instead of going to 19th hole and talk about Berdian hole, number three, you talk about how you build your own time record with two seconds or something. Yeah, so that's the difference. And I say, but the best way to understand what we do here, come and see it. Until you don't see it, you don't realize what is here. You can just picture yourself, you know like, hey, it might be a trailer, it might be a mechanic, and then you see and you have state-of-the-art facilities, top-top service and the best of things that we can provide.
Speaker 1:Yeah, hope you all enjoyed that episode. I know I did so many great stories and lessons and takeaways and insights and ah, so good, just so good. And being able to do that episode in person was even better. So thank you all for listening. Thanks for being here. If you're enjoying the content, a like, share, subscribe, costs nothing and means the world. That's this episode. Until next time, I'm your host, danny Corby. Catch y'all on the flippity flip.
