In this episode we’re joined by Gregg Patterson, prolific speaker and writer about the private club industry and, of course, General Manager of the Beach Club for 33 years. He graced the cover of Club Management magazine as the 2015 Club Executive of the year.
If you’ve ever met Gregg you know he has a dynamic personality and his stage presence is larger than life. You can hear the passion he has for the private club industry in every word he speaks. He’s so passionate, you might almost think it’s an act, but I can assure you it’s not. He’s a man who is on fire. On fire for something he loves and it shows through.
Now, if you’ve never met Gregg here’s a quick anecdote that will give you an idea of who Gregg Patterson is…
I saw Gregg recently at the CMAA national conference. But I didn’t see him on a stage or in an expo booth or at the lunch table. I came into the room at one of the educational sessions which was held on Sunday evening before the conference kicks off. The room was packed to see Dick Kopplin, who you can hear in episode 2 of this show, and his partner Kurt Kuebler. Sitting on the floor I see Gregg who’s got a notebook in his hands…. and is furiously taking notes. That’s right, the guy who’s literally on the cover of the magazine, who has probably seen just about everything there is to see, who’s been managing clubs for 33 years, who’s been delivering keynotes around the world is sitting on the floor soaking it all in. Absolutely amazing….
If you’re a GM or an aspiring one, you’re going to LOVE this episode.
He’s self-described his time in the private club industry as a “love fest”. Now, that term might scare some of you, but we’ll get to the bottom of what Gregg means by that.
During the interview, we’ll take a journey to find out what a General Manager needs to do to inspire and instill loyalty in his or her staff and board and learn what Gregg thinks is the hardest part of the club business. We also discuss what Gregg thinks you should look for when hiring the right staff for your club.