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
444: From Bollywood to Hollywood (Golf Club 😉) w/ Salil Bokil, CCM
This one’s got heart, hustle, and some serious longevity.
I’m joined by Salil Bokil—GM of Hollywood Golf Club down the Jersey Shore. He’s been there 18 years, and somehow built a team where no one leaves. I’m talking a chef who’s been there 17 years… a controller who’s clocked in for over 36. It’s wild—but once you hear how he leads, it all makes sense.
Salil walks us through his journey from India to the U.S., landing here just two weeks before 9/11, and how that moment shaped everything that came after. We talk about his early years in hotels, why clubs became his forever home, and how he keeps things fresh season after season.
He shares what it really takes to build trust with a board, a team, and a membership—and why being visible, grounded, and curious has been his leadership edge.
We also get into:
– The underrated magic of seasonal downtime
– What he learned from his parents (and still carries today)
– How he connects with over 100 seasonal staff—and remembers what you drank a month ago
– And why you probably shouldn’t try to pull a fast one on him (he’s done your job before)
Salil’s the real deal. No fluff. Just great stories, real strategy, and a masterclass in how to lead well—and stay human doing it.
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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 this episode, today's guest is a friend of mine. I've been wanting to get him on here for a little bit Salil Bokhil, and he is one of the nicest guys in the biz and somehow convinced an entire team to never leave. His chef has been there for 17 years. His controller's been there since fax machines were cool. It's insane.
Speaker 1:It's just a wonderful conversation because we talk about how a kid from India with a dream and a hospitality degree ended up running one of the coolest and most respected clubs on the Jersey Shore, and he shares how he keeps things fresh, how he leads with empathy, not ego, and why he still starts every morning with a call to his parents halfway around the world. We get into the magic of seasonal resets, loyalty that is earned and respected, not forced. We have great stories, great lessons from a great dude. I cannot wait to get into it. Before we do, a quick thank you to some of our show partners. They help drive Private Club Radio. If you think you might be interested in learning about any more from our sponsors, let them know. You heard about them or you hear them and you like hearing them on Private Club Radio. They like hearing it, we like hearing it.
Speaker 1:We all like hearing it. We have our friends Kenneth's member vetting Golf Life Navigators Club, capital Group Members First, and myself. We have our friends Kenneth's member vetting golf life navigators club, capital group members First in myself the Denny Corby experience. There's excitement, there's mystery. Also there's magic, mind reading and comedy One of the most fun evenings your club will have guaranteed. This is not just a show, it's a full evening, immersive experience your members are going to talk about for months and months and months, Guaranteed.
Speaker 1:And listen, I know a lot of clubs look at what I do with the magic and related to stand-up comedy and it's similar but it's different. And I've heard of too many clubs having bad comedy nights. And if you were thinking about having a comedy night but haven't, or you're a little nervous, or maybe you've done one that was just okay, or you want to just learn more about how to have one of the most fun comedy nights your club can have, I put together a little guide just to help, because I don't like seeing clubs have bad events and having a comedy night a bad comedy night is just not good for anybody. So I want to help you in your clubs. Even though it's not what I do directly. I still want to help you. Go to dennycorbycom slash comedy guide to snag the guide. It's quick, it's easy and some of the best tips you can have to make sure you have the best comedy night ever.
Speaker 1:Enough about that. Let's get to the episode. Private Club. Have the best comedy night ever. Enough about that, let's get to the episode. Private club radio listeners, let's welcome to the show.
Speaker 2:Salil bokil, yeah, and and were you? How old were you when you, when you came over, were you already doing hospitality? Yeah, so I start, I studied hospitality, I got my uh, my bachelor's done in india, um, and then I came here to do my master's, which was in 2001. So I was 21 when I came in and I'm 46 now, 25 years later.
Speaker 1:Did you ever think you were going to be at the same club for 18 years?
Speaker 2:No, never imagined, Never, ever imagined. It was kind of like an unheard of thing for me coming from the hospitality space. It, you know, it's like who stays for that long, like it was never on. You know, it was never heard of until I started and you know, honestly, I know why and you know it's very rewarding and it's very rewarding. It's hard to kind of explain that, but you know, once you're at a club, that you, you know, and I guess it has to be mutual too, because I've seen, you know, my predecessors, you know, have not been here, obviously, as long as I have. Now, to be clear, like I haven't been the GM for 18 years. I started off as the clubhouse and director F&B and then AGMs, have been the GM since 2015. So, um, but even my previous GMs weren't here, you know, for that long. So it's a uh, I guess it just has to work, you know, within, within that set.
Speaker 1:So yeah, but I mean, I mean your, your whole bench has has tenure. You, I like what you're. You're telling me your chef's been there 17 years, controllers there, like 36 years. Who else? There was someone your, was it your agronomist? Your, your agronomy.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so this is my 18th season. My chef's 17th season controller has been here over 36 uh years. Our golf row has been over 25 years. Our superintendent's been here over 11 seasons. Tennis pro 12 seasons. So all our like our executive team has been here. You know a good amount of time and it yeah been here.
Speaker 2:You know a good amount of time and it resonates, you know, really you know part of, not part of, I think I think a lot of the club's success over the years that we have had, you know, is a direct result of that, because you know it's just, consistency breeds success. And these are just the top, you know, just the top layers, if you will. But even within our general team, it's our average tenured individual right now like a full-time, because we're kind of seasonal down the Jersey Shore Our average tenured full-time employee is about, I would say, about eight years plus. Tenured full-time employee is about, I would say, about eight years plus, which is huge, especially in today's day and age and in terms of the options that are available or not. People are not looking to come into this space also, but people are also getting burnt out and are leaving the hospitality space for that reason. So we're blessed. You know, we're really lucky to have the team and you know everything that they do on a day-to-day basis.
Speaker 1:It's just uh, you know it's awesome yeah, and it sounds like everyone kind of got there at the same time as well, I guess. I guess sounds like the club started, you know, like like that sort of happened, like all like around the same time frame, ish there yeah, no, I mean.
Speaker 2:So 2008, I think, was a little bit of a um, a little bit weird time. No, well, that too. But you know, also a transition period, I think, for the club. Um, you know, I think in that year. I mean the club has been here since 1898, right?
Speaker 2:So we just had our 125th year anniversary last year and two years ago, and so you know it's been here for a long time and it was, you know, one of those kind of traditional clubs. We're down the Jersey Shore, so it's very seasonal, so it was always meant to be for individuals that came down the shore or had summer homes or came down in the summer, you know, for them to kind of be engaged in play. So we were never, you know we still aren't, you know we're only open nine months. We closed for three months in the winter for that reason, but it was very, you know it was operated very differently. It was a very kind of a close knit type of, you know, family type of a setup. It was a very kind of a close-knit type of a you know family type of a setup.
Speaker 2:But in 2008, that transition happened, you know, we had a new board and a new president and he really took the reins and said you know, we're really going to start looking at this or running this as a business and started to make certain changes and the professionalism kind of came in or started to come in a little more at that time, not that it was not saying it wasn't there before, but it just kind of started to get a little more refined with the hires. So there was a new GM that took in that year who you know subsequently hired me, and the chef and the superintendent and you know starting to put policies and procedures in place and trying to just get everything back on. So it helped that cause and that's when majority of the team came on board. I mean, with the exception of our head pro and our controller, everyone else kind of started during that time and has been obviously been consistent since.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah. So take it back quick. How did you even get into hospitality? Because you started in, because you didn't come from clubs, you came from the hotel route, right?
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah. So I mean again, you know, originally I, you know, from India and I did all my schooling and everything. So I went to the hospitality school there wanting to become a chef. And you know, the reality is like, you know, I wasn't super great at that studies and generally, you know, in Indian families it's like, you know, doctors or engineers is kind of like the thing you know you have to study and that's the focus. And you know I was trying to look for something, something offbeat, and I think it was in 96, there was actually a TV show that came on which one of the celebrity chefs, if you will, started the show.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:And it really, like you know, I kind of like clinged on to it and that became my thing and it was like you know what, this is awesome, I want to be a chef. And I started to kind of pursue that. I got into the hospitality school in India wanting to be a chef and once I got in and I kind of spent a little time in the kitchen, I was like, eh, this may not be for me, but again, obviously it opened up the avenue for other things hospitality-based. So I graduated, worked for a year in India with the Marriott and then I had the opportunity or always wanted to get my master's done in the US and I got the opportunity to come here to Johnson Wales in Providence and I did my master's there 2001 to 2003,. And then started working.
Speaker 2:I got my first job was at the. Actually it was a small gig in Michigan for six months, I was trying to help a family friend, but then my first job was at the Hilton in Short Hills, new Jersey, which was a AAA five-diamond hotel at that point, one of the only ones in New Jersey when AAA was you know, we're really doing their ratings and such and I worked there for a couple of years and I, you know, moved over to a neighboring town and it was the West End and, you know, always like hotels was the thing, like clubs was never on the radar to the extent. Which is the funny part is. So I had my resume up on this website called H Careers, which is which is, I don't know. I think it's still probably there, but I don't know. But it was a hospitality based website and the GM who had started here came over from Baltimore. So he was working in Springfield, living in Morristown, and I was working in Morristown and living in Springfield, so he kind of had that connection, knew the areas, and he called me and he's like, hey, you know da, da, da, and you know Hollywood Golf Club and you know, like Deal, new Jersey, I'm like where is that? Like even as big as New Jersey? It's like Deal, new Jersey. So I come down and you know, talk to him, you know things work out well. I'm like great.
Speaker 2:So I start and as soon as I start I got enrolled right away. He was a big, big supporter and you know I kind of consider him as my kind of like my mentor and a friend in this industry. But he was, like you know, got to get into CMA. You got to get involved, you know, njcma, the whole chapter, and as soon as we got involved, every other week I was going up for meetings, like two minutes from where I was living.
Speaker 2:For four years, no-transcript, the only club that I knew was there were two clubs. One was obviously Walterstraw, because when I was at the Hilton they had hosted the PGA championship and all the players were staying at the Hilton. So I kind of knew, you know that, and obviously it was like I could walk to Walterstraw, that's kind of where I lived. And then the other one was Canoe Brook, which is, you know, across route 24 and they have two courses. So every time in the Hilton is right behind Canoe Brook, so every time you know you drove to work, you could see the golf courses. I figured, yeah, there's, you know something here, but no concept of private clubs, because it was.
Speaker 1:You know, this is 2003 to 2005.
Speaker 2:Right, so there's no Instagram, there's no crazy act of social media, not that the clubs were also looking to put themselves out, so it was hard. Nobody was advertising for jobs, so you didn't really know, unless you know there was somebody from within the industry. So it's crazy Like I literally go up there. I'm like wow, I lived here for four years and I had no idea these clubs existed.
Speaker 1:That's so neat, it's so funny. It's like you know when, like you buy, buy your uh, you buy a car and like you never see it. Then all of a sudden, like it's on your mind, you see them, like everywhere. So I was like where are all these clubs coming from? This is crazy. Oh, they've been here for hundreds of years.
Speaker 2:Wow but that I mean to, I guess, to answer your question. You know that's how I, and it wasn't really you know specific. I was just looking for a change at that point.
Speaker 2:And hotels is tough. I mean it is. You know it's a tough business to be in and I wish I'd known about clubs, you know, a lot sooner. Not that, you know, I was with hotels for 10 years or so, but even that window, I think it just, you know, just gives you that, or at least for me personally and I'm sure you know certain individuals may think differently but for me it gave me that, you know, that satisfaction of coming to a place where you know, you know people, and the challenge because you, literally, you have to reinvent yourself every single year, every single season. You got to do something different, you got to do something better. I mean you do something great and everyone's like this was awesome, like all right, well, how do we top that next year? Right, so it gives you that constant challenge and also the relatability because you're, you know, you mean I've been here 18 years, right, so I've now, you know, and it's kind of scary because I've literally I have kids that I did their bar mitzvah.
Speaker 2:You know when I I've now, you know, and it's kind of scary because I've literally I have kids that I did their bar mitzvah, you know, when I started, or now, you know, getting married soon or have been married or having kids, you know like, so it's, it's like a whole you know thing to see, like, oh my god, it's been, it's been, uh, so it's, it's very rewarding. And then you make those connections, you're part of the family and it's um, and the club's been, you know, hollywood's been an awesome. I mean I can't, I couldn't have thought of another place to to be at and um, it's just something I'm very, very grateful that came, uh, that you know that came, came along my way.
Speaker 1:So yeah, how do you, you know, speaking of being there for for so long, how do you, how do you keep it fresh? You know, like, how do you, like you and the team, keep it? It it's, it's, it's hard to. I mean, you guys have a glorified, you know, marriage there between, like you, know you and like all the staff. Like how do you keep that relationship and culture and just even like with, like the members, how do you keep it all fresh?
Speaker 2:um, so it's I mean it's, it's definitely hard I mean, I'm not you, I'm not, you know, I'm not gonna, you know I'm not gonna lie but it but what I think helps us in a way is, because of our seasonality and because of that, the winter downtime that we have, it really allows us that reset time to, like, you know, really give it time and think about things and you know what can we do and look at the calendar and plan everything ahead. You know, and I think you know that's what helps us in a way, because if we were, you know, a constant, year round club, I think it, you know it does, you know it doesn't give you that moment to like just pause and you know, look back and you know what worked and what didn't work. So I think that you know what worked and what didn't work. So I think that, you know, helps us. You know definitely, I think, just like I said, you know, just having the team here for as long as they've been, it's also, you know, positive, because they also understand, you know, the dynamics and it's not, you know, hard for them to, you know, really take it upon themselves to say, okay, hey, let's, you know, do something different or come up with another idea or, you know, make things, tweak things differently, and it could be, you know, silly things. It could be as little as changing up the. You know it could be a similar event, but you know you're changing up the way it's set up or you're changing up you know the way the. You know certain things are presented. You know, and that also gives it a different, you know flair.
Speaker 2:Like you know, we have a beautiful patio and you know we're actually in the process. Right now we have a clubhouse renovation, you know, approved, which I'm super excited about. It's a unique setup. We have a campus-style facility. So this is one of our buildings that primarily has our dining spaces and the kitchen and the locker room and whatnot. So that primarily has our dining spaces and the kitchen and the locker room and whatnot. So you know that's. You know fingers crossed, that's going well.
Speaker 2:It's supposed to start, you know, in November, but currently, even with that, we have a beautiful patio that you know overlooks the golf course and you know we do as much stuff outside on the patio as we can. And you know even little events, like one of the events last year, we just, you know, literally kind of reversed the setups, as opposed to sitting on the patio and doing something, we also have like a lower area of the golf course and so you're doing something there. You kind of switch it up and put the seating there and then, you know, did certain things on the patio and just that was like a refreshing change, because you know you're so used to kind of doing things in a certain way, or even the members they're so used to like okay, we're going to come in and this is where we're going to sit to like all of a sudden, oh wow, this is, this is cool and string lights and like the whole thing.
Speaker 1:So just you know, little, little aspects like that also make a huge difference yeah, what's your I don't want to say like secret, but you know everyone has their like thing. But like, what do you think is your thing that keeps the glue together for, like the whole team, or your like management style? Like, what do you think has played into that role, that, that success? Cause you know it's, it's one of those. You can still give anybody the the best scenario. You know everything, like the perfect conditions. They can still mess it up. So you know how, how do you keep? How do you keep it moving? What's your, would you say, or what would like your people say, is your secret little sauce, so to speak?
Speaker 1:Yeah, from the man who hates cooking no From the man who hates cooking no.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think it's, you know it's really, you know how, you know how the club as a whole and you know, obviously, me being, you know, the representative of the board or the club you know it's how we, you know, really take care of the employees. Now it's cliche and everybody, you know, talks about it and does the same thing, and employee appreciation and this and that. But I think you know genuinely, I think you know here at least what I've seen. I think it really, you know, is done right and I think my approach, and especially because you know I'm you know not, you know I'm not from here Like you know, I have a different background and a different culture and I think hospitality is kind of ingrained in me. You know that's how you know I grew up and was brought up and you know. So my approach to individuals and addressing, you know, concerns or challenges, or just being able to relate to them, or just being able to relate to them, I think that's what I feel is one of my strong suits that it is very, very easy for an individual to kind of relate to what I'm saying and just appreciate that and once you're doing as much as you can and you're just giving the respect that every individual deserves. You're going to get that respect back and they're going to do as much as they can to try, and, you know, put in a good show for the club.
Speaker 2:But I think you know the membership at large, the way they treat the staff.
Speaker 2:You know I've talked to a lot of my peers where you know it's a challenging membership and they don't have the support that you know they think they should have from members of the board in terms of how the staff is being, you know, being treated, or how their staff is being handled or the ability or the trust that they have.
Speaker 2:And I think over the years, and I think, just given the fact that I've been here for so long, also, you know, allows the board and there's a lot that has happened. You know over the years and I think, just given the fact that I've been here for so long, also, you know, allows the board and there's a lot that has happened. You know, over the years and you know we've kind of gone through ups and downs but I think 2015 onwards, I think you know to this point now there's there's really a comfort level and you know trust and a faith that you know you run the operation the right way and I think the staff kind of you know, sees that and and kind of gets motivated from that as well yeah, and when you have that kind of like you you've had the boots on the ground, like you keep the boots on the ground, and like you've been in different positions, like you've worked all the aspects in the area, so you know it's even hard, you know it's.
Speaker 1:You can't, you know no one can come to you and be like oh, oh, I don't think it's. Like I've been there, like I know how long things should take, I know what should be done, I know how it is. It's hard to pull a fast one on you.
Speaker 2:No, but you know I and I think you know the other thing too is you know we're, we're, we're kind of like a midsize club. You know we're not a. You know it's very engaged like you know it's a smaller, you know property size. So I am, I mean it's my. My admin staff is, uh, is usually gets mad at me because I'm like never in my office so they have to like peek in and say, oh my god, he's in the office, like you know. So I'm always around. You know I'm always connecting, always talking to staff and members and you know that's one thing. You know they'll always see. Like you know it's never I'm not the type of individual that's, you know, more of an office-based, you know guy.
Speaker 2:And I think it's super important for you know, and again, I've listened to and you know taken, you know, advices from a lot of you know my peers who do that successfully and you know, as you talk to a lot of people in the industry, it's you know, if you're not present and if you're not, you know, engaged, you know you could be here for 16 hours a day sitting in their office. It ain't going to do any. You know and I've known of individuals that kind of, have that sort of, have that sort of a mindset and have obviously, you know, not lasted Right. So I think you know one of the you know the answers to your previous question too is I think you know when you see, or the members see, you know the genuineness of your engagement. I think it does get appreciated and does go a long way.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, how, how many staff do you have when you're like you know, in season we could be about 100, 125.
Speaker 2:Um, you know, we have a lot of seasonal individuals because our, because of where we are, you know our seasonality is more like may to september-ish uh, with the weather, um. So we, you know, we do a lot of the seasonal. We do the H2B staffing program, which we've been doing for over 12 years now and it's been fantastic, it's been extremely rewarding and I think that program as a whole is and a lot of clubs, including clubs in Florida, that rely on that program. But there's so much value to it because you get to experience a lot of clubs, including clubs in Florida that rely on that program.
Speaker 2:But there's so much value to it because you get to experience a lot of the individuals that are coming from all over the world right, and especially for me, I kind of empathize a little bit because I was in their shoes at one point in time and trying to come to a new country altogether.
Speaker 2:So I kind of have that sort have that sort of a in, and I think it's great when you see certain individuals that are engaged and even you know to that point, like even we we actually have four of the H2B guys that have literally been coming back to us almost for eight or nine years. So even within that we have a, you know, kind of like and they're, like now part of like. You know we have a gentleman you know at the halfway house who's been there for six years and it's like when he comes in, everyone's like oh my God, like welcome back. Like you know it's part of the family and so it's. You know, it's really a great program that we've had a lot of success with, a great program that we've had a lot of success with. But it kind of tapers down because when our season slows down then they go to Florida, so it really helps us manage that volume window.
Speaker 1:Yeah, were they doing an H-2B program when you first started?
Speaker 2:No, so I think H-2B wasn't even and I could be wrong. Maybe it was there, but we weren't using it. We initially started with the J1s for a couple of years and it was okay, but it has its limitations. And then I think we came across the H2B in I want to say 2012 or 2013, I think.
Speaker 2:Also fairly recent, yeah, yeah, but since then it's been. You know it's like clockwork. You know, every year, you know, we go through sports of having, like this year, we have like 80% individuals returning back and then a few new ones, and then a few new ones. So you always have some new individuals, but more so the repeat ones, which is huge because they get the ground running day one. You don't have to go through training them and going through the whole thing because they know the program.
Speaker 1:Yeah, edit, when you were working in hotels was there?
Speaker 2:anything that you learned or picked up there that you brought over to clubs. I think you know what. What it really which which I think is is is huge is just the entire training process because you know, I mean I went to the hotel school in india which was run by one of the leading hotel groups in India called Taj Hotels, and the training that was ingrained in me just in general, whether it was from the grooming standards to a lot of little things and that kind of further translated, when I started working with Marriott and I think Marriott as a company is known for their standards and everything that they imbibe in you and I think that really, really helped me and it was like a strong foundation of what I gather from the marriott down to the hilton and weston, which was starwood then but now it's all one company, but you know, every kind of chain at that time these were were the three big ones. You know Marriott, Hilton and Starwood, you know, had their little quirks which really helped in bringing that when I started here to try and get this Because, like I said, you know it wasn't, you know it was a, and that's what clubs are right.
Speaker 2:I mean, it's an extension of your home and you know members want to come here and they want to feel, you know it's. You know it's not necessarily they're coming here to judge and say, okay, did you serve from the left or the right. You know it's. You want to come here and have a good time and and uh, and be recognized, and you know and that's what it was about. But it was again like trying to get that uh train back on track, which that background like helped me tremendously and I think anyone that's kind of done this sort of a transition which you know there's a lot of individuals that you know have come or have been coming, you know, probably say the same thing. I think it gives you a very strong base to try and then get that into your, into your day to day system, to try and then get that into your day-to-day system.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so what type of training like? What does your training look like there at the club?
Speaker 2:So I mean it's you know so over the years. I mean obviously now we have a team in place but you know from the basics, you know the regular training manual and things like that, you know. So everything that's kind of done. But given the fact that we have a great success in having the individuals come back year after year, you know it's not really not that hard. I mean we're not literally like starting from scratch, right. So you know, and those individuals also help the individuals that are coming in, you know, to try and you know, get them up to speed as quickly as possible. And then within our you know our food and beverage management team, I mean they have again, they've been here for so long, like even my, you know my clubhouse manager has been here 12 years and so you know they get, you know, so it becomes a lot easier for them.
Speaker 2:Also on a day-to-day basis. You know whether it's little things like pre-shift, and you know name recognition, whether it's playing those games and pictures, and you know what we can do. Um, the best way to get the members uh, you know, or get the face to the name and and have that recognition for members which you know, in my opinion is probably the single best or the single uh most important thing at clubs is the recognition and and it's kind of like a dual thing, because when you have individuals that work with you for a certain period of time, for as long as they have, the recognition is automatic. So we have members that come back, where a lot of the other clubs it's like okay, well, there was a new guy this year. I don't know who that is, who Mr Smith is, but here it's huge. I can't tell you the feedback that we get. It's incredible.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and has that always been a part of your thing, or do you think you picked that up a little bit more as you evolved through the years of hotels and management and leadership?
Speaker 2:No, I think the name recognition is, you know, is very, you know, club centric, right, I mean, obviously, in a, in a hotel, depending on where you are. Um, you know, like at the west end, where I was, it was more of a business hotel and you know where it was located. It was, you know, within an area where there was a lot of the fortune 500 companies from europe. So we would see the same clientele kind of come in Sunday and Thursday. So you know you would see them and you know, you know if they came in. But it's an important aspect because they felt great too and you know they were recognized.
Speaker 2:But I don't think it's not, as you know, prevalent or as important I would say as it is at clubs, you know, just for that reason. But I mean, hotels obviously have a different system and a different dynamic, because the reservations are made and you kind of have a whole profile of you know who's coming in and you kind of personalize it accordingly. But at clubs, you know, I think that is what everybody kind of looks for, even from a member side.
Speaker 1:Do you do any like employee recognition, like employee the months or things like that employee the quarters?
Speaker 2:we don't. We we don't have a specific program but, like I said, you know we do.
Speaker 2:You know we do a lot of that stuff on a regular basis, but just in general, you know, uh, whether it's a summer social or holiday party and, um, you know something towards you know, the winter or starting in the spring. You know we're kind of doing three or four things, you know, throughout the season to try and try and keep everybody engaged. But we don't have specific, you know, employee of the year sort of programs. It's just because of our seasonality and the the, the way the staff is and how long everyone's been here, it's kind of, you know it's a little the the, the way um, the staff is and you know how long everybody's been here. It's kind of uh, um, you know it's a little tricky, but you know there's other avenues that I think the staff really enjoys uh, being engaged here.
Speaker 1:So so who do you go for for advice or when you know you got questions like who's your, who's your go-to people.
Speaker 2:So my, my, I mean my, my mom and dad are two of my closest confidants and I've seen them. My dad was in sales kind of all his life and so he has that. I think I kind of got the knack of dealing with people from him. He worked for the parent company Unilever, which in India was Hindustan Lever, so he did a lot of the the consumer goods and you know he had a big territory and he traveled quite a bit and so you know we got to kind of travel with him within the country as well.
Speaker 2:And then my you know my mom has a teaching background. She's an author, she's a poet, she's written like 20 books, she's a big celebrity and uh, you know, in pune or the city where I'm from, and uh, but what, what I've seen from them is just, you know, from the humble background that they came from, to you know where they kind of got themselves and it's just like it's just imbibed in me. And you know, my mom kind of, you know she basically went to, she got her bachelor's and her master's after being married and after having us, and she was a gold medalist and you know both in the university there, and so I've seen her. You know her hard work and the same thing you know, on my dad's side of just, you know, working at sales is, you know, I mean it's a thankless sort of a situation with targets and things like that. So I've seen him, you know, kind of put that effort in so it's really, you know, that's really kind of helped me kind of, you know, develop into who I am and deal with people and the effort that needs to go in and the hard work and you know all of that.
Speaker 2:So so I mean they're kind of my, my confidence, and I think you know, a lot of times, you know, they're my first phone call. I mean that's my kind of morning routine. I actually only have like a 10-minute drive to work. You know, sometimes I wish it was a little more because then I can please get the phone calls completed. But that's with the time difference in India it's actually the perfect time because you know it's evening time in India when I'm, you know, getting into the club in the morning. So, um, that's my kind of daily routine is to, you know, talk to them in the morning in the car and, you know, just talk about stuff and whatever's coming up and and just kind of get my day going that way.
Speaker 1:Yeah, is there a? It's going to be like a, like a. I don't know if it's a two party question question, I'm gonna look. I'm gonna just word, word, word, word vomit and you just take it as is. You know, seeing as you're so close to your family, is there a like, a belief or a principle, maybe that like they instilled in you, that you kind of impart like? Or is there like something that like, is your kind of guiding light of like you know, your principle, your belief, like? Is there like a? I think it's like a. Two thing is like a. Is there something that maybe they instilled in you? Is there something that you just kind of maybe found on your own? That's encompasses a couple different things, but yeah, I'll let. I'll let you take the ball on that one.
Speaker 2:There you go I think I think more like you know, staying true to your roots, right, just being unapologetic of who you are and kind of doing the best you can, you know within the the guidelines of what's, you know what's available you know for you, and just again, you know the hard work is just you know there's no substitute to that and I think that I've kind of really really taken from them and just the ability to deal with people. I think those are the two key important things. But just even with my kids I mean both my kids were born here and but you know, we've, we've made it a conscious effort. Whether it's a language decision, you know, like you know, I speak three languages, right.
Speaker 2:So in India, you know, I went to a common school. So you know, I've been speaking English since I was in kindergarten, which when I came here initially, everyone was like, oh my God, I can't believe the English is so good. Well, there's more English-speaking people in India than the entire population of the United States, just because of the size. So just that. But even so, I speak English. Then we have a regional language. So in India, pretty much every state kind of has its own language which is called you know we call it the mother tongue. And then you have a national language because, depending on where you go in India, you know somebody from the north of India to the south of India is two completely different languages. They wouldn't understand what they're speaking. So to make communication easy, there's a national language, which is Hindi, so anybody from any part of the country can speak that language. So it's three languages that I speak.
Speaker 2:So for my kids, you know, we made it a constant effort to make sure that we were speaking, you know, my regional language, or Marathi, which is what it is. So we speak that at home. So they understand that. You know from watching some of the Hindi shows. They understand Hindi and obviously they understand and speak English. Unfortunately they don't speak Marathi, which I wish they did. But it's just challenging when you don't have that many people speaking. It's not easy to kind of communicate that, because the only time you're really speaking that is when you're home and then outside of home you're not really speaking that. But at least you know we're happy that they understand that. But again, you know, taking trips back home every year and having family visit or them going and just kind of keeps them, you know rooted as well, to understand, you know, the culture and everything that you know is to bring.
Speaker 2:So you know we're grateful for having that opportunity and I want to make sure that they understand that as well and they know you know where the roots are right, so that I think, overall I don't know if it answers your question, I digress.
Speaker 2:I think overall. I don't know if it answers your question I digress, I think but I think that's important for us as a family to kind of, you know, ensure that we're, you know, being who we are and trying to do the best we can, because it's not easy to kind of come across, you know, all the way here and setting up a base and um but um, that's, that's what we've enjoyed and we want to continue to do that.
Speaker 1:That's awesome. Now, how old are your kids now?
Speaker 2:My son's going to be 16. My daughter's going to be 12.
Speaker 1:And have they shown any interest in what they. I mean, I know it's still so young and so far away, but are they like hospitable people Like? Are they like, are you? Are you and so far away? But are they like hospitable people like? Are they like, are you are?
Speaker 2:you? Are you making them going to be like doctors and lawyers?
Speaker 1:and stuff. What are you? What do?
Speaker 2:you? What do you question on them?
Speaker 2:but uh yeah, uh no, I mean they, you know they genuinely I think they because of my background yeah you know when we do travel, you know it's, you know staying at, you know whatever hotels or resorts that we end up staying and it's good to have the hotel background because you still have connections.
Speaker 2:So it's good to get you know friends and family rates. So they do enjoy that. You know they enjoy traveling and they see that aspect of it. I don't know if they're, you know there yet. If this is, you know this is a career that they, you know, see for themselves or want to aspire to be, but you know it's still. You know my son, you know, has a short window of his granddaughter. She's got a lot of time but you know she's just 12 and my son's gonna be, he's a sophomore right now in high school. So you know he's got, you know, the next three or four years to kind of figure out what path he wants to take. But but, uh, but they do enjoy this. So I I mean, if they go this route, that wouldn't be, uh, I wouldn't be surprised yeah.
Speaker 1:What, what, uh, what words of advice, words of wisdom do you have for maybe younger kids coming up in the, in the hospitality space now?
Speaker 2:Well, that's a. That's a loaded question, that's the, that's the topic of the you know, of today's day and age, and every time you know, whether it's at conferences or meetings, it's that's the topic, because you know you don't really have that you know younger pipeline willing to come into clubs and kind of put in the hours and stuff. But I think the two pieces of advice I think is very simple. One is to be patient, which I think is the challenge with a lot of the younger folks these days. They want instant gratification and they want to finish hospitality school and become a general manager in two years. You know, I mean that's kind of like in their head. Some of them, you know, think that way, which, you know, again, is not certainly not saying it's impossible, but it's, I think, being patient. And then, especially in the club world, I think you know, if they really understand how rewarding it is from all aspects, whether it's a, you know, work-life balance, whether it's the financial stability, whether it's the job security. There's a lot of positives within the club space that if they, you know, they grasp that.
Speaker 2:But I think clubs in general, you know, just don't do a good enough job, I think, of making it very enticing to a lot of the college and it's very easy for you know Marriott or Hilton to come through and flash all these beautiful resorts they have all over the world and you know, and then people are like, oh my God, this is awesome, like this is where I want to work.
Speaker 2:Clubs are not that right.
Speaker 2:I mean, they're not very um chic in that sense, but I think until you get into it or you speak to individuals which is why I think you know the, the student chapters, uh, across the country, and the fact that they come to these conferences and they see all of that, I think it's huge because that really really gives them a flair for what the industry is and that's, you know, one of the biggest things I have enjoyed.
Speaker 2:You know the engagement and you know the peer-to-peer network that we have and the conferences and the BMIs, and you know you don't get that, you don't get that at. You know a lot of the you know in the hotels and it's the connections that you make are just fantastic. You know, and it's the connections that you make are just fantastic, and that's, I think, one of the biggest aspects for me to kind of also continue that, because it gives you the ability to learn every single year and do different things, and so I think if these individuals kind of saw that a little more, I think it'll be extremely beneficial for them.
Speaker 1:Yeah, anything, we didn't talk about that. You want to.
Speaker 2:Well, I think what I was like.
Speaker 2:I was just, you know, alluding to something real quick before. So I think for me, you know, like I said, when I came here in 2001,. I came in literally, I came in two weeks before 9-11. And it was, you know, it was a crazy time, I mean, for someone who you know came from India and you know I have no, like no family here, like literally, it's just the four of us in this country, which is wild when I think of it, you know, like no, no uncles, no aunts, no cousins, nobody here, it's just nobody, like nobody, zero. Wow, because I came here it was actually five of my, uh, my buddies who you know we did the bachelors together. So that was the only incentive, like you know. At least I didn't come here completely, you know, without anyone, without anyone's, but again, it was just that. And to take the leap, and I mean I'm kind of dreading my son's going to be in college in two years and I'm kind of like sweating that right now, you know I'm going to be 16 hours away.
Speaker 2:Pre-social media, texting, pre-facetime, pre-anything, you know, calling cards and punching in numbers to, you know, call home once a week because it was still expensive, but it was, you know, it was a time that really really taught me a lot and I think to go through that that period for all of us because you know we were, you know all my friends, you know as things were unfolding it was.
Speaker 2:It was a very you know it was a very challenging time, but I think that really helped us all as individuals. Like, really, you know, grow up quick, you know you take, you know take care of yourself and the responsibility and you know just the overall factors. I think that you know, really, you know, put a lot of emphasis on how important it was for us to not just be here but to you know, to succeed and do everything we can to try, and you know, make a career, and you know, and all my you know, to succeed and do everything we can to try, and you know, make a career. And you know, and all of my you know, all the colleagues that I came with are within different, different spectrums here, but they're still, you know, they're still here.
Speaker 2:So you know it's like I said, it's 25 years and everyone says you know kind of doing well in their own space. But you know he stuck it out. It wasn't like we panicked and we left, so, but it was an interesting time for sure.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:What was the first job out of? Or you get here, what was like the first hotel I came here, you know, and it was in grad school, so my classes were only like two days a week. So I worked at a restaurant in Providence for a couple of years and you know, it was kind of like the routine you work three, four days and, you know, just went to college, you know the couple of days, and so I went on for it was more like 16 months, I think, the program, and then, you know, know, then I kind of started working, um, right away. So it's uh, when I look back, it's uh, it's quite a ride yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:When others would have given up or said no, like I pushed through and it's.
Speaker 2:It's tough too, because you know you're not really um, you know opportunities are not just coming by, because you know for us it was a whole, you know, kind of like a visa process and an immigration process to a certain extent, because you come in on a certain visa, which is a student visa, visa to be able to work, and then once you get that visa you know not every company is sponsoring that visa, so to say so, you kind of are restricted to companies that are willing to get that for you and then once you get that, then to find someone that's going to help you get your green card process going. So there, a lot of, you know, a lot of challenges along the way, yeah, um were there ever any moments of like?
Speaker 1:this is like so dumb. But like, do you ever feel like people like, almost like hanging that over your head kind of just like, just kind of like being like oh, like you know, like, oh, like I have like this, like power or something like?
Speaker 2:oh, hey, you have to work here, but like no, yeah, fortunately not, but I know that has happened. I know that's happened to some friends that I've known. Yeah, fortunately for me. No, I mean, I think every place that I've worked at, including, you know, hollywood, which has been majority of the uh of the journey, has been extremely supportive of that and have done, you know, and my process has not been easy by any means. It's been, it's been very, very challenging, like you know. It's.
Speaker 2:It's, you know, to the point where I was like two months away from packing my bags and going home because it just wasn't really uh, things were not moving well and you know, the uh process was getting denied. I was actually, if you, if you believe this or not my visa was being denied because I was overqualified for the job. So they denied my visa saying that you have a master's in hospitality. We don't think this job needs requires anyone with a master's degree, so we're not going to give you the visa. So I had to then, you know, basically reach out to a lot of my peers and have them get letters to say he's not as smart as he looks no he is, I'm busted.
Speaker 1:I'm busted. No, that, that, no, that's wild.
Speaker 2:They wrote me letters I mean addressed or whatever to say hey, here's a job.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Here's why you need someone with a bachelor's or master's to kind of do the job, because the way the immigration I mean, they kind of put they have one category for, like, say, a food service manager and a manager at Dunkin' Donuts is in that same category as a manager for what's called it. So the immigration just looks at it like, okay, you're in the food service manager role. They don't look at, yeah, yeah, you know the differences and so, yeah, I mean so little crazy things like that have, you know, only added to the challenges. But you know, I've been able to, uh, you know, knock on wood, I've been able to overcome that and uh, and then get it, uh, get it moving along. So but it's uh, it's been a fun ride.
Speaker 1:With a smile on your face.
Speaker 2:Yeah, well, that's the best you can do, right? You can only control what you can control. You know, when you can't, you can't, so you can't get worried about that.
Speaker 1:Yeah, well, thank you so much for coming on. This was such a great conversation.
Speaker 2:Awesome, I loved it, and thanks for being patient. I know we've been trying to get this set up for a while.
Speaker 1:Oh good, oh good. Hope you all enjoyed that. I know I did so, leo, thank you so much for coming on, thanks for being a friend, thank you for sharing and being a great human. If you're enjoying the content, if you're enjoying the episodes, a like, a share, a five-star rating means the world and costs nothing. You want a snag of the comedy guide? Head on over to dennycorbycom slash comedy guide. That's this episode. Until next time, catch you on the flippity flip.
