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
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Private Club Radio Show
451: She doesn't want to be the youngest GM, she wants to be the best w/ Nicole Wasserman
Nicole Wasserman isn't your typical club professional. At an age when most are still figuring out career basics, she's already compiled a resume that reads like a hospitality industry scavenger hunt—Augusta National, the Governor's Mansion, Hershey, Roaring Gap, wedding planner, and more. Now serving as Food and Beverage Manager at Daniel Island Club, Nicole brings a refreshingly grounded perspective on what it means to build a meaningful career in the private club world.
Our conversation explores Nicole's unconventional path into club management, beginning with her early wedding planning experience where every minute detail was scheduled down to bathroom breaks for the bride. This meticulous background created an unexpected culture shock when she first encountered club operations, initially believing BEOs were missing crucial information that wedding timelines would have included. Her transformative experience with The Players Championship, where she witnessed extraordinary service training that created genuine enthusiasm among staff, ultimately sparked her passion for club management.
What truly distinguishes Nicole's outlook is her thoughtful approach to leadership development. Rather than chasing titles or being the "youngest GM," she focuses on becoming the kind of leader others call for guidance and mentorship. "I want to look back on my career and say I did something that really changed people's lives," she explains, highlighting the value she places on making meaningful impact over rapid advancement.
For club leaders wondering how to connect with the next generation of talent, Nicole offers invaluable insights. Young professionals seek consistent, supportive leadership that provides hands-on opportunities while offering guidance when needed. They want authentic connections rather than superficial engagement. And most importantly, they want to be at clubs where the cultural fit aligns with their personal values and communication style.
Whether you're a seasoned club professional looking to better understand your younger team members or an emerging leader seeking to navigate the club industry, Nicole's blend of youthful enthusiasm and mature perspective provides a roadmap for bridging generational gaps while preserving what makes club culture special.
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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 we are hanging out with someone who's been everywhere and done everything in clubs, for the most part before most people even figure out what side work means. We have Nicole Wasserman and she is the current food and beverage manager at Daniel Island Club. But her resume leads like a hospitality scavenger hunt Augusta, governor's Mansion, hershey, roaring Gap, wedding planner, cheer coach, photography assistant and that's before she graduated college.
Speaker 1:We talk about her start in weddings, her time learning to hustle with hospitality legends and what made her fall hard for the club world. She shares the culture shocks of moving from events to clubs and new places, why she used to think BEOs were missing half of the details and how the players tournaments gave her a playbook on how to lead with energy and coach with purpose. We also chat and learn about what young professionals actually want from club leadership, how to earn your team's respect when you're the same age or younger. And one of my favorite parts is why Nicole doesn't want to be the youngest GM. She wants to be the best. This is a wonderful episode talking with someone. This is a great episode because we're talking with the youth. We're talking about the youth of today and someone who's living it and going through it. So I am super stoked. Nicole is sharp, she's grounded, hilarious and has more perspective at her young age than most people do in all of their life.
Speaker 1:So cannot wait to dive in. Before we do a quick shout out, a quick thank you to some of our show partners. Members, first, kenneth's Member, vetting Golf, golf life navigators, as well as myself, denny Corby, the Denny Corby experience. There's excitement, there's mystery. Also there's magic, mind reading and comedy. A ton of laughs, gasps and holy craps. If you want to learn more, head on over to dennycorbycom. And I got to tell you about my management in motion.
Speaker 1:One of the most fun leadership and management events in the club space guaranteed happening september 22nd at monticello motor club. We are taking the day ripping up bmw m2s, 3s and 4s, doing auto x drag racing, drifting and so much more, all while weaving in and interlacing education from fellow club leaders who also spend time on the track and how that relates to club leadership and club management. It's going to be so amazing. If you want to learn more, head on over to privateclubradiocom slash MIM for Management in Motion. Privateclubradiocom slash Management in Motion, or MIM. It'll give you all the details Enough about that. Though let's get to the episode. Private Club Radio listeners. Let's welcome to the show Nicole Wasserman.
Speaker 2:I just got back from Long Island on my days off I went to NOIAC.
Speaker 1:And what just hung out?
Speaker 2:Mm-hmm. I have friends from school that go all over, so on my days off I like to visit them, their clubs and see what they're getting into. You know, because all 21 year olds don't have hobbies and just like touring other places that do the same thing that they do.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, no yeah, I was doing the same just like other people's shows, so I would just go like hang out with like other magicians like at their shows and shit.
Speaker 2:Maybe I'll go to a cheer gym or something. That's a hobby I used to have.
Speaker 1:So you just like show up and like they're like ah, so like how high can you kick your show? I'm like oh, okay, yeah, come on.
Speaker 2:She's good.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:She's in, is it like?
Speaker 1:a it's like a secret handshake or something. I think I need to bring a kid nowadays if I go to one of those places maybe I'll borrow co-workers you're getting right around the age where it's like, yeah, if you don't show up with a kid, yeah, maybe call in advance, don't just show up unannounced but the airport.
Speaker 2:They said honey 12 and under this way.
Speaker 1:So I feel like I kind of blend in five foot two next thing you know you're on like a school bus that you can't get off. Like no, no, like I I drove here, like okay, and like let's find your parents that that could possibly happen.
Speaker 2:I feel like one day that's funny, so so you got started in weddings yes, I um worked for my grandparents entertainment agency and then went straight into wedding planning. I worked at a boutique for a little bit, but that wasn't part of my club path really really fun job like a clothing store it was altered state.
Speaker 2:It's a christian clothing boutique. I like to joke and say I was their diversity hire because I'm not christian. But, oh my goodness, I loved it. And my boss there, um, hired me because I was pursuing hospitality and they were told in their meeting that week that they needed more hospitality at that outlet. And she said well, it's on your resume, well, I haven't started, that this was senior year of high school. She's like close enough, you want it?
Speaker 1:and then and then. What was your first taste into? Like the club space?
Speaker 2:the players. That's one of my favorite things ever that golf tournament. They do a really good job of going above and beyond. It's the most impressive thing watching how they train everyone up for the one week of service. But that's kind of how I got into it.
Speaker 1:Got it. Was there something else from weddings that actually helps you now in the food and beverage space?
Speaker 2:Oh, a ton. It taught me to think on my feet. It taught me to work with other people. That you're not over in the sense of when you're working a wedding. If there's an issue with catering and you're the planner, I need to go to the manager, I guess, of catering and work through them, to the manager, I guess, of catering and work through them. So, like if I had an issue with the lifeguards at work because I'm the cabana manager we work with the pool people I wouldn't tell a lifeguard not to do something. I learned kind of the order of operations and respect for other teams' leadership, which I wouldn't have automatically known to do if I hadn't had that experience of weddings and that kind of thing yeah, and you've done augusta and then you were at the governor's mansion.
Speaker 1:I think there's a couple other like cool, cool spots, any weird, like culture shocks or shifts or differences.
Speaker 2:I'm trying to think. Well, the biggest shock, I think, was when I went from weddings to clubs the very first time the Roaring Gap event planner handed me a BEO. I immediately thought she missed so much stuff. There was, you know, this linen, these tables, here's a floor plan. And I said, well, what time do they walk in, what time are they peeing, what time are where? I mean the wedding plan, where they schedule bio breaks and so like for the bride to go to the bathroom, and for we had everything planned down to the minute. And so when I saw a BEO for the first time, I assumed it was the same as a timeline. So I said this is missing a lot. And then I realized that's totally normal and she actually had extremely well thought out and thorough BEOs. And I mean, when I worked at Palmetto club they looked the exact same, like they. That's typical in the industry. But coming from events straight to clubs, I thought that they just were missing a lot of details which apparently I just was used to weddings.
Speaker 1:Any other weird moments or shifts or just things that Each state has very different personalities, like when I worked in hershey.
Speaker 2:They're very northern, very yes, sir and ma'am, but it's not. How are y'all doing tonight, where when I worked in south carolina I'd notice a lot of my team struggling to not say the word y'all and um they're? I guess each place is very different and it's hard to put an exact word on how we're like the governor's mansion, a lot of the team's college students and they're all very passionate about service. They take it all from the school where other jobs might not have been recruited straight out of a college. So like that's why I think the players is super successful, because they recruit all from um hospitality school programs and I think those are the best people to have as servers because they have something to prove where it's not a money-making job for them, it's a educational, prove a point kind of job.
Speaker 1:And then you did go to school, right?
Speaker 2:Yes, I went to university of South Carolina and I majored with club management, but that originally I wanted to be a wedding planner. I had the club management on my degree to get in state tuition. They don't offer it in Maryland, but then, um, the guys recruiting for the players came to one of my classes because I was in the club management classes for that, and I ended up falling in love with it.
Speaker 1:And you get a discount. I'm in. When we were chatting, you mentioned something. I don't have the couldn't edit, don't have my notes in front of me, but it was something along the lines of you didn't want to be the youngest, like the GM, or anything like that, but you just wanted to be the best. Where did that mindset come from?
Speaker 2:I think it's more looking back at the moments that brought me to where I am, in the sense of one of my favorite things I ever talk about is my mentors, which I wouldn't say.
Speaker 2:I have one mentor I call.
Speaker 2:I have mentors that if I'm working an event like, let's say, di is having an event and somehow I'm in that department If there's an issue, I'm not going to call my old boss from Roaring Gap, I'm going to call the wedding planner I used to work for, that knows how I process as an event planner and that kind of thing.
Speaker 2:But there's so much leadership in the industry and if I'm going to be in the industry I want to be able to coach people and mentor in whatever capacity I thrive at, mentor in whatever capacity I thrive at. And so if I'm the youngest manager or whatever, no one's going to be reaching out to me saying how do I do this? I'm going to be the one reaching out, which I love to ask questions, I love to learn, but eventually I really value being that coach, the mentor. I want to look back on my career and say I did something that really changed XYZ people's lives and I want to get those phone calls saying what I do in this situation or I had an event, here's how I handled it, here's how I could handle it in the future and whatnot. I like those coaching moments.
Speaker 1:Yeah, what does a good coach look like, a good mentor look like, and what does a not so good? Or are there any not? Great coach mentee red flags or stuff that maybe you've seen Because you worked at a ton of places everywhere doing a lot of stuff staying busy, so I'm sure you've seen all of it. It's like what separates the good from the bad. What are some like red?
Speaker 2:flags maybe to that you're like ah, that's so great so some of my favorite leaders, I think, show their drive, their passion and their humility. So my favorite story is there is this one wedding. I was working for a guy named kirsten rowe we. I was a photography assistant as well and what I noticed is after the kiss, when they walked down the aisle, he always looked very frustrated and I always saw the pictures and I looked absolutely delightful and I always asked him what's wrong. And he just wants to get that absolutely perfect shot and he takes his work very seriously. And when he doesn't get that perfect shot in his mind you can see it a little bit.
Speaker 2:But um, I just really admire the, the caring in his um efforts.
Speaker 2:And then I also really like um how he talks me through his reasoning behind everything and very patient and like we would do boys hockey and I loved how you know every single time he'd check in with me, make sure I'm okay when I was just lining people up. But also it's the coachable moments where, like in clubs, being present, being on the floor. I really admire when there's a big club event and let's say it's club bingo or club trivia or some later night activity. They're when the general manager is there like present, for even if it's not their typical nine to five or whatever most gms work probably no one works a nine to five but like when they're there for their team they're with them, like they don't have to be bussing tables but it shows a lot when they're present and knowing little things. I love when they ask me about. I know I don't have much going on outside, but like if they ask about one of my food runners, soccer practices or just remembering those kinds of things.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah With, with so much of your background. Looking back, is there an experience or, like, I don't want to say an industry. It's all been like hospitality ish, but like, is there something that you look back and you see? Maybe you tend to lean on more than others?
Speaker 2:Like a type of coaching.
Speaker 1:Or yeah, I don't know. I'm thinking in my head like you've worked at and done so many different experiences, jobs, positions, like all that Like and not just at clubs, but doing other different avenues as well like is there like looking back on what you've done so far, like is there maybe something that you've leaned on more?
Speaker 2:like you're like looking back at that experience, like, oh, that was like super helpful I think the players has been a really big baseline for how I am as a manager.
Speaker 2:Where they do this coaching thing, where they go through a whole PowerPoint on their expectations and then they split you into groups based on your position. They teach you the I guess, the actual day to day how to place a plate, how to clear, but then they do it as a group and it's exciting and it's fun. It feels like you're at a well, I don't know what this would feel like, but you know, before a football game in the locker room cheering each other on that kind of vibe, where you are so pumped up to clean those tables, I've never felt more excited to chase someone for a piece of trash, which they do an incredible job. I think they should sell this as a hospitality training group. It's just very impressive how they can motivate an entire new group of people every year to do this and do it at that high level for a whole week. It takes people years to train a staff to that level.
Speaker 1:I mean for a person, for anybody. It's a huge, huge undertaking. You've seen and experienced so many different leadership styles already. What kind of leader do you or are you trying to work towards to be?
Speaker 2:I think it's different based on where I am, because, depending my team, they need a different kind of leader. So where I'm at right now, it's a lot of people similar to my age, maybe a few high schoolers. They need someone that's going to be relatable, someone that's in the trenches with them, someone that's there when they need things and they're just to listen if they have frustrations. If I was back at Hershey, where it's a unionized tenured staff, they just want someone that's going to step back and let them do their thing and not get in their way when be encouraging, be present but not be touching their tables as much as they want to be in control. So I think it's more. I'm the kind of leader that gets to know my staff and sees how they thrive. And even within a staff there's different personalities that you have to adjust to. Where some people like to talk about their weekends, some people like to dive straight into work or be coached on how to do something or be shown or learning. Their learning type is important, yeah.
Speaker 1:What's an average day? Look like now for you.
Speaker 2:I wake up at about 12 o'clock because now I don't have work in the morning and then I I've been trying to adventure charleston, learning the area. Um, found mount pleasant the other day apparently that's a big area and then, um, normal day when I get to work I'm sure that's what you were asking, but I get there and I always make it a point to say hi to everyone when I get there, to not just say hi but also to play catch up, see where things are, since I'm not doing the lunch service. So when I get there I first say hi to the kitchen staff as I walk in, put my bag down, I go outside, I say hi to whatever servers are in the server station, see if they're okay, then table touch, check on the bar, see if they need anything restocked, circle both pools and once everything's squared off, kind of dive right in, help out in whatever way. So restocking ice, restocking cups, if there's something with a member handling the member situation, and then we do lineup. What I really like about our lineups is the back of house is very involved in it. They like to show off the specials, talk about the food, which I think is very helpful, to educate our team on selling the food and educating the members about what they're ordering, and so I love how involved front and back of houses together and they get along incredibly well, which I think is really, really important. And then, you know, run through service.
Speaker 2:We have a lot of events. We do movie nights, trivia and we do pre-concert. So we do live music and depending on what the kind of night is, we'll depend the volume. Now, when it rains, not everyone's gone. We're a fully outdoor outlet, but most people do leave when it rains. But we have a few people camped out under a cabana. It's like a little covered area. People camped out under a cabana, it's like a little covered area, and um, that is very um, like we'll get a few people drinkers at the bar or whatnot. But, um, I do feel bad for um the staff when it's that slow, because then there's no one there to serve. And I can agree that the whole team loves when there's people because that brings excitement, something to do, people to serve, memories to make for membership.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:You can't provide good experiences if there's no people to provide them to.
Speaker 1:And then there's like four people there and then you like just over, deliver too much, like there's nothing else to do. They love bomb them yeah. Yeah do they love bomb them now. Yeah, you, you, you do a lot and are involved and engaged with the youth cmaa and all of that as well, right, yes when did that come into play like that? That wasn't high school, right, that was like college college.
Speaker 2:So I joined my freshman year because it was on my degree and I said, well, close enough, I mean it was on my degree. And I said well, close enough, I mean it is on my degree, I should probably be involved in it. And then I started getting active in it. Once I did the players and realized I liked clubs and started to go to everything I could would go to all the conferences, all the trips.
Speaker 2:There's a lady named Jessica Chavis. She's one of my mentors, and so she used to be a manager in the industry and life brought her into teaching, and so she does an incredible job of taking her values from and her experiences from being in clubs and not just coaching people who already have that passion, but helping create that passion for clubs to her classes, where it's people like that who are passionate and love something that makes you want to be passionate and love that same thing. It's contagious, and she's someone that genuinely cares about and is there for each and every one of her students. I guarantee you half the people that have jobs in the Carolinas and clubs wouldn't have them without Jessica Chavis. She is a woman that knows everybody and loves everybody and coaches everybody when we work a golf tournament from the school. If the school sends us, she doesn't just go to the tournament, she checks on us, is there for us.
Speaker 2:One of my good friends left it was, I believe, the Masters in an ambulance. She was not doing okay, had nothing to do with the masters. My friend was just having a moment and Jessica rode in the ambulance with my friend, which it's moments like that where it doesn't matter what's going on with the student, but she's always there for everyone. I mean she'll text me if there's something that I might be she thinks I'd be interested in. One of my friends recently quit her internship and she was coaching her through that decision, and so it's really nice that there's someone that all the students have to lean on.
Speaker 1:Yeah, was it that one that she was doing the same duties as her last one and was just bored?
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 1:She dipped.
Speaker 2:She did. She sent it last week.
Speaker 1:Done for the day.
Speaker 2:Honestly, it was nothing against the club, I think it was more paying the two rents and she felt she could get that back at.
Speaker 1:Of course, yeah. So what you know, seeing that you've done so much and have been involved, you know in the chapter and just for a bunch of different perspectives from a younger age, what do younger people in this space want from their? I don't want to say like senior leaders, but like what are they looking for? What do they want? How you know, like what does, like, what's that playing field look like?
Speaker 2:So I think everyone looks for different things based on who they are, where it's fully dependent on the person, but there's a few things that overarch. Like one of my friends, jack. He wanted golf something. I don't understand the whole golf thing, but he really wanted like a PGA someone who would coach him in the golf shenanigans. Where I wanted someone with a lot of food and beverage experience as a leader.
Speaker 2:I look for the leadership, the people, and that's the overarching topic. Everyone's looking for a strong leader who cares. No one wants to work for someone that wakes up in the morning, rolls over and says I don't want to be here. No, you can still be that person. It's the consistency, day in, day out, of acting like you actually like it. We're not everyone's going to love what they do every single day, but your team shouldn't know that. Your team should see you as someone that's always excited to be there. If I look to you as a leader and say I need help, please, please, please, come help me. I need you. I want someone that's going to say of course, that's what I'm here for, not not. So it's the kind of leadership that you're happy to serve your team, that servant leadership that's trending all over LinkedIn right now. I think it's the funniest thing, but it's true. I mean, people want a leader that's there to support them and that's how everyone, I think, should strive to be like, and I think that most of my friends who've had successful internships have worked at internships that are hands on, with a lot of room for opportunities to be hands on and make the mistakes, but a huge net so they can't mess anything up royally. Mess anything up royally, like lead a team, but have your boss standing right there making sure you don't say anything stupid or miss something important. Have a lot of support, but a lot of room to actually be the leader.
Speaker 2:I got a text this morning from my friend working at I'm trying to remember her club Ansley in Atlanta, and she was so excited. She said 4th of July I'm going to be in a supervisor role. She's so excited and she's over the moon to have the supervisor role and they've been training her up to it. Which incredible job with this program where she's been bartending, she's been serving, she's touched events, she's touched maintenance and now she's kind of worked her way up, gotten to know the team, worked alongside them, and now she finally it's kind of. She has this opportunity to be in a supervisor role, but they're also all still going to be there and supporting her.
Speaker 2:So it's internships like that that I've noticed people love and have great experiences at. And same thing with my friend who's at country club of Buffalo right now. She's touching florals at events, she's helping with the execution, she's talking to the vendors, she's doing all the things and her big thing is she wants to be in events at clubs and they're tailoring that internship to her, where I think it's understanding who's interning for you, what their goals are, where. If I was interning somewhere right now, I would love to touch the golf department, but I would hate it if I was there multiple times throughout each week, every week, because that's not my path. But getting to know who it is and what fills their cup, I think, is what's important.
Speaker 1:Well, and you know, making sure that both find each other and you know, just like you said, have that expectations and whether it's with the internships or jobs, like anything, it's just really just not taking anything. You're just going, hey, is this really a good fit? And then, kind of seeing it, how long do you think is the proper amount of time to give it before you're like, all right, I think I don't think this is like the best fit. Like no, cause you know, cause some people might you know. After a day you're like okay, listen, you really can't. You know, once in a blue moon you could, you know, if you give it one day you can tell. But like what do you think is a proper amount of time to give?
Speaker 2:I think it depends how bad it really is and what kind of way. Like, if someone doesn't feel safe which I don't know, anyone that hasn't felt safe, get out right away. If it's a scenario where maybe it's not the right culture fit, that takes time. Where, um, there's been jobs that when I first started I didn't think it was a fit for me. Now I look back and it's some of my favorite places I've worked but, um, there was one internship I did that I did end up quitting, I didn't finish it. It was, um, a wedding internship which I already had my other wedding job that I've had for five years straight in DC, but the one internship I quit. The reason I decided to pull the plug was I was crying Well one. I was crying every day, but it's a matter of.
Speaker 2:I think people want to feel respected and valued and I just felt very undervalued and I think that what's important when deciding to do something is if you're burning a bridge that you need. If it's a CMA verified club, it's a very small industry. You do not want to burn that bridge. All clubs know each other, know how each other works. I think you can gain as much from a bad leader as a good leader, and so I mean there's been jobs everywhere where there's a few good managers, a few bad managers and same with employees. No place is going to have the perfect staff, and I think it's as long as you're able to go to work and some days have a good day and not consistently have bad, bad, bad days and be hiding in a bathroom crying, then you should stay yeah, how do?
Speaker 1:how do clubs attract and get younger people who actually care?
Speaker 2:What are?
Speaker 1:the good ways? What are the ways to change? What are any things clubs think are good things but should stop doing?
Speaker 2:I would say recruiting from these programs where not just the hospitality programs with club management, but hospitality in general, because there's a huge demographic that don't know clubs are out there. But all these students, they just want to learn something, to prove something. And the reason I say hospitality students is there are already people who are motivated, the people that work these golf tournaments. There's a huge community of students that all hop tournament to tournament and they love that week long of service. They don't even know that there's a way to do that as a career, full time. They think tournaments are what they like, when really could be clubs? And I think the most important thing when hiring an intern is to make sure it's a culture fit where, um, I have a very outgoing, personable personality and I personally think I thrive with a more family-centric club where there's kids and families and I want to see the grandparents bringing the families in town for visiting or whatever, not, um, like the high tie jacket clubs, they're awesome clubs. One of my like Augusta national, one of the greatest clubs out there they do very well.
Speaker 2:I actually don't know services like I only know during the masters, but, um, you know the vibe where a club that's known as predominantly golf or talking about golf. I don't really understand golf. I want to talk about you. I want to get to know you. Some people when I worked at Palmetto Club it's a city club, they're businessmen looking for business meetings and I still loved it because my members still wanted to be personable, get to know me and everything. But another city club might have members that really just want to focus on their meeting and there's different personalities of each club and kind of figuring out what your club is and what the potential intern's looking for is almost as important as experience, because if it's not a vibe or atmosphere that they're going to like, they're not going to be excited to provide that service, if that's not who they are rooted down.
Speaker 1:Yeah, is there anything?
Speaker 2:maybe something older leadership, older people don't fully maybe grasp about younger people, younger culture, younger hospitality, people coming up I think it's um preventing mistakes that they've probably made as well themselves where I've noticed some of my biggest challenges. All my friends are seeing across the board. Where you know I, I just got out of college, people, people say y'all in South Carolina, people say are personable, they're young, they're friendly. It's bridging that gap between speaking professionally but not feeling like you're not being yourself and making, I guess, normal judgment calls, where it's obvious to teach someone the proper steps of service, the proper drinks, but I feel like it's not as obvious thinking back in your career where things went wrong and how you learned from that. And I think those are the best coaching moments, the whoopsie moments I call them.
Speaker 1:Have you been able to find yourself coaching younger people now that you've been through the program, been through the ringer a little bit and now made your way out and into the real workforce, the work field doing it?
Speaker 2:I think it doesn't matter your age or your experience. I think everyone can coach and support everyone. It's the same idea as calling a friend when you need help or advice, where I'll call my friends who are in their internships and they'll tell me what's going on and I'll say how I would handle the situation. And I have some of my old managers who still call me and say this is what happened at the club, here's how I handled it and I explain how, even though they're much older than me and they were my boss, it's having someone to bounce those ideas off of, just because, regardless of your age, your level, your anything, having an outside perspective is always so nice to have when faced with adversity, because everyone sees things completely different.
Speaker 1:Yeah, is it difficult being a younger person in the industry sometimes?
Speaker 2:I would say when you first start anywhere, every single internship I've done, I honestly started off There'd be a few people. Well, I think the hardest adjustment was hershey, because that was my first food and beverage role. That wasn't a wedding, where that was my first time being in a restaurant and I like if someone said, run this food, I'd you know, put it across the table and make it run and I'd say, did I do it? Or it's that kind of thing where it I honestly think the best adjustment for that is telling your team to have patience, where everyone has different skill levels, where back then I knew absolutely nothing and while the team was very patient with me, at Hershey I think it was more stepping straight into a leadership role and knowing nothing.
Speaker 2:I personally I'm very hard on myself. I wanted to feel helpful and I felt like I didn't have any tools to help people. I learned very quickly. But I think with the age thing every place it's honestly less the older people that I've had not trouble with, but I've noticed it's more of an adjustment with people your own age, because it's proving why am I here, why am I in this role, and I've noticed the best way to do that is, to stay consistent and stay true to yourself. So there's been moments where you no one says anything, but I can feel it where I know, that exactly.
Speaker 2:And so being there and working with them when it's absolutely slammed and you're cleaning their table with them, you're running their food, everyone's dripping in sweat. Those are the moments that really build a connection and build a reputation. Where you're not going to no one's going to respect or not respect, but no one's going to look at you and think that person's there for me, for everything. Right away, you have to earn that, you have to work for it. You can't just say I'm going to be here to support you. You have to show it and day in, day out. Consistent. I think consistency is the most important thing.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:It's a lot easier. I don't know if you've heard the saying with um, a lot of good days can be thrown away by one bad day. So cause people like to remember the bad things more than the good. So it's really important to make sure that you stay the same throughout. Also, another thing I tell my friends when they're frustrated with where they work is have you ever heard the water bottle theory?
Speaker 1:Which one?
Speaker 2:So it's when you go to the movies and you're thirsty and you buy a water bottle, it's maybe seven $8. But then when you go to the gas station, it's like $2. And so if my friend's frustrated, saying I'm so bad at my job, I'm not succeeding. You're at a gas station, get to the movies because you're a $9 bottle of water, and I think that some people, wherever they're working, it's not saying anything about the place, it's just not a right fit. You're at the wrong venue, and so I think it's really important to find the right people for the right places.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, that's good, that was just. It was a random school show that I performed at and right when you first walk in it was that same thing. But it was a really nice poster. The one teacher made for the kids and it was like it summarized that it was like a bottle of water and it had it all like every scenario at Sam's Club 10 cents and then just did the whole thing and it was all about that.
Speaker 1:Yeah, no, it was all about that. Yeah, no, it was. It was. Yeah, you know, fast forward, you're running your own club. Your general manager, you got the reins. You know what kind of stuff will you do differently or make sure it gets done, or you do do that. Do. That's maybe not commonplace in today's current leadership toolbox or arsenal. Maybe.
Speaker 2:I think my leadership when I'm a GM is going to be a total blend of all my favorite people where I really admire Joshua Baskey's enthusiasm for the industry he's very knowledgeable. When I think of him, I think he knows his stuff. He's enthusiasm for the industry he's very knowledgeable. When I think of him, I think he knows his stuff. He'll have all the answers. And Jen, the head of my club now, she's very similar in the same way. But then Dan at Palmetto Club, he's very personable, very fun and very hands-on, very there with you. I like his approachability and his personality. Where I still want to be personable and approachable.
Speaker 2:And this guy, steven Hetzer. He's a very strong mentor, very coaching, he's very well-spoken and I love how he takes time to get to know people and speak with people. And also I would want, if I had a seasonal outlet, a big training thing before, very similar to the player style. I love the idea of people wanting to be there. So I think we would recruit out of more like college style or people pursuing the industry. And also I would want to be current with the trends. So I feel like a fun position to have is like a trend follower, like someone who's a little like social media savvy and their whole job kind of like in unreasonable hospitality, the the dream weaver, where their whole job could be thinking of ways to keep up with the trends but also keep up with the members going above and beyond someone whose entire job is to like an outside the box thinker, like my creative person I got you and like I feel like a fun idea would be to have like idea powwows.
Speaker 2:I where there's always food and beverage meetings at every single club where they talk about what their outlet needs to improve, what's happening, current events, upcoming events but I've noticed a lot of members at every club has a whole list of all these grand ideas Some not so grand, but well, that's typically. I feel like a good box outside the GM's door that's never going to actually be opened. I feel like that's a great idea for the member ones. But also some people really do have great ideas and I think it could be a total train wreck. But I do want to see one day someone just have a whole, maybe like a town hall, of just people sharing their ideas and we time them all saying you got three minutes each idea, that's all you get.
Speaker 1:I think if you just sit in the bar after 11 pm, I think you'll get a lot of interesting stuff from the members at that point of what they're looking for.
Speaker 2:There's always so many ideas, so many, my favorite response is that is a great idea. I've never heard anything like that before. My favorite idea that's been kind of trending that I've noticed is all members are obsessed with these wraps. Everything has a wrap. Caesar salad put it in a wrap. They would put a burger in a wrap if they could.
Speaker 2:They love these wraps called the quesadilla so I think it's definitely interesting to hear all the ideas, but I'm excited to see where the trends of clubs go in the future. The AI thing kind of scares me.
Speaker 1:Why.
Speaker 2:I don't know. I think it takes the people out of it. Where I see how it can help, where there was this one conference I went to where it showed a general manager being translated into Spanish so they could welcome their H2Bs and their native language. But also that's kind of cool. But I'm just nervous that if you automize everything and take the people out, it's going to lose the emotions. And what makes clubs different than going to? I hate when you go to the Bojangles and the robot says what do you want to eat? And it never understands my I want two legs and French fries. It never gets that.
Speaker 1:Because freedom fries. No Hope you all enjoyed that episode. If you want to learn more about management and motion, head on over to privateclubradiocom slash mim M-I-M. If you want to learn more on how to book me for your club, head on over to privateclubradiocom slash mim M-I-M. If you want to learn more on how to book me for your club, head on over to dennycorbycom. Enough about that, though. That's this episode Until next time. I'm your host, denny Corby. Catch y'all on the flippity flip.
