402: Rethinking City Clubs: Brett Curley on Community, Culture & The Future

Transcript

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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.

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Whether you're a club veteran just getting your feet wet or somewhere in the middle, you are in the right place.

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I'm your host, denny Corby.

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Welcome to the show.

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In this episode I'm chatting with my friend, brett Curley, who is the general manager over at Charlotte City Club, and this is a doozy.

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Brett is a very fun dude, very nice guy.

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I've known him for quite a few years now.

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He met at a CMA thing in Charlotte I forget what one it was exactly, but he has such a cool background of working for for-profit clubs as well as member-owned clubs so the whole gambit and has taken on the recent challenge of the Charlotte City Club really trying to bring this club, bring this historic club, to a new era of community, of innovation and downright fun.

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So we talk about Brett's background a little bit where he came from, how he got here, his style, his vibe, his way of managing and leading.

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He's very involved in the CMAA and working with the Utes over there and we talk about Charlotte and North Carolina and the explosive growth that's going on and what that means for the club, and we talk about how innovative the club is getting just in terms of its thinking and how they're thinking and what they're thinking about, and he'll go in to talk about it.

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But it's the what if?

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Conversations, which are the best conversations, if you ask me, because it's that's where the fun, that's where the creativeness comes from.

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It's not, you know, shutting things down.

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It's oh, what if we did this, what if we did that, what if, what if?

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And just exploring those options just to see just as creative exercises.

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And I think it's very fun, very important and it's cool to see clubs doing that, leaders doing that.

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So this is a really great episode.

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I'm stoked.

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Before we get to the episode, if you're not subscribed to the newsletter yet, and over to privateclubradiocom, I will be coming out with our ultimate club entertainment guide very soon.

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Enough about that, let's get to the episode.

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Private Club Radio listeners, let's welcome to the show my friend and soon to be yours, brett Curley.

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You've had quite the professional run.

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I mean, you've done from privately owned clubs to member owned clubs to.

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You worked for a development group as well, right yeah.

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And now your most recent adventure of city clubs.

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This is your first city club, right?

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First city club.

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Yes, yeah, so I'm well-rounded.

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I'd like to say City club yes, yeah, and it's so, I'm I'm well-rounded.

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I'd like to say what's what's cause.

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You've been there a year now looking back.

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What's what was?

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What's it?

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What's that been like?

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What's cause I know, like that that's what we're going to talk about today is the like resurgence of city clubs.

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Um, I've had a couple of people from city clubs on Jay Jay Hingsbergen from um up in Ohio.

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I used to be a member of a CityClub.

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I love CityClubs.

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I think they're amazing.

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Let's dive into that.

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What's been your experience like one year in?

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I feel like now you've got your feet wet a little bit.

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What's that been like?

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Sure, I think for me it's been.

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Probably the biggest learning curve was coming into a space where I'm 32 stories high and logistically working through operations, coming through operations, being in country clubs, all of that it's easy.

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You're loading docks right outside the door.

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There's a problem.

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You go to the roof, there's this.

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You're not working with building engineers, you're working with your own internal team and here it's been I'm working with a conglomerate right From an entire building perspective.

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So that's certainly been one of those that was very eyeopening to me and kind of working through some of those logistics.

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But you know, hospitality is, is, is where it is right.

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If there's, if there's a love language with every place and any club you go to, you know you got to find what that language is.

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And so for me, where I saw the symbiosis, you know, post COVID, right, all of our country clubs and those, right, you go to all of our colleagues here in the Charlotte market and most of them are on three, four year wait lists.

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And you go to city clubs, right, and they and they're, they're, they had the exact opposite effect, right.

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So so they were trying to figure out how to survive and the ripple effect, you know, went the exact opposite direction.

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And so, coming on board, you know, four years, three and a half years, post, post COVID, it was very interesting to see the dynamic and the shift.

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I felt that it was very similar in the dichotomy right People that they trusted and cared for and loved.

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I think, if anything it taught us I don't know I guess kind of to focus on the human thing in hospitality and what it's all about.

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And it's not just about the what have you given me lately in the services and where those things are being part of the best golf course or this.

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It became about community and I think city clubs really had to embrace that when they could, because they couldn't, and especially in North Carolina where I found, because, coming from Florida, we didn't recognize COVID ever.

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So it was starkly different seeing the different shift in this club and its culture, which is starkly different from where this club started 75 years ago, or even, if you look at it, a decade ago.

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It has almost done a complete 180 in a culture shift and so, understanding that right in any club you come into, you want to understand both the preservation of history but where the forward focus is going, and so that's been the biggest part of my year is is looking in that windshield, um, while kind of focusing on the rear view of of where the club's history is going.

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Uh, we just celebrated 75 years.

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This is 77 actually this year, um, so, so there's a lot, lot in front of it, uh, but it's been a.

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It's been a year of of learning for me, um, really being in a big tower.

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Do is is the club, the entire building.

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Uh, it's not.

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We occupy the top three floors, um of at the corner of trade and try on.

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So we're right at freedom square.

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We're right, we're, you know, q McCall.

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We're right across from the founders of bank of America and founders hall there, um, obviously, us being quite the largest, one of the largest finance hubs here in the country, and so it's got a very unique address.

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This is the third location of the club in its 75-year history, and so this building yeah, yes, and it's occupied two buildings now prior to that that don't exist anymore.

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Buildings now prior to that that don't exist anymore.

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But this building was designed in the late 80s, but in the 1990s when it was commissioned, and it was designed for the club in mind.

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So our space that we occupy is the ballroom.

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All of those things were designed for the club to move into it in mind.

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So we've been here for almost 35 years now.

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And hopefully going to stay there.

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You guys aren't moving anytime soon, right?

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Well, you know, I think that's all left.

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You know, if I can keep anybody, especially anyone who listens on this podcast, you know, guessing as to where the future of the City Club lies.

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That's been a big part of our strategic plan is looking at where the club's going.

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Charlotte is growing at an exponential rate.

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Uh, we've got about 115 people a day that are moving to the Charlotte market and, um, it's really seeing where the next steps in viability, um, you know, city clubs are, are one of those that, um, you know we don't own the asset, so we don't have the entire building where a lot of your city clubs and those things up north or athletic clubs, you know they occupy their space.

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We're in conjunction with another assets group and so it's kind of a unique opportunity, if you will, is hey, listen, is this where we want to be for the next 75 years?

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Or are we looking to grow where Charlotte's growing?

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And I'll tell you, denny, it's amazing seeing such a young melting pot market grow and what you're seeing kind of come around it, and I think the City Club's got a real opportunity to see if it's going to embrace that, because the different style of what I would call clubs that are coming around are not what we know of clubs of old.

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What's been what's?

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What's the demographic of the membership been like?

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Is it younger, older?

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Has it been getting younger?

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What tell me about that?

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Oh, I'll give you the, I'll give you the old.

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You know typical buzzword we're trending, trending younger for for for marketing terms.

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But it's no, it really we're.

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We're right under Um, under the age of 55,.

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Uh, we're right at 50 median age, right at 53, but it is 100% younger membership that is coming on Um, the majority are all under the age of 50.

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Um, and typically, you're seeing, it's a, it's a different, different demographic.

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I mean, we, we did everything from we just just brought on a 28 year old up to the mid 40s, and it's city clubs are very different because it's the amenities, what they offer, the culture.

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Everybody's looking for something.

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That's a little bit different.

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Reason Right, they're not coming because you have a renowned Don Ross golf course or you have the largest ladies, you know.

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You know 3040 tennis program.

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You know they're coming from a social aspect and what I say now is a social aspect is where it's completely shifted.

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You know, this club, you know, was founded as a gentleman's club, was a business club, founded by the mayor at that time, in 47.

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And for 30 years it was men only and, and you know, up until probably 30 years ago now, you, you didn't bring a wife in here.

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This was a business club and, and if I was, if I had to try to walk a pocket square with no tie, even even five years ago, pre COVID, I wouldn't have been allowed in the club, and so it was very much the.

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You know, you came to cut a deal and then you went to the cigar lounge to smoke a cigar.

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You know it was the humor calls of the world.

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It was some of the founding, you know, fathers or partners of what Charlotte is today, and so it's really been interesting to see how it's completely shifted.

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Still involves the Charlotte culture, people that have influenced, people that are part of the arts, but it's become much more acceptable to be casual, and I think we've seen that across clubs in general.

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Right, I mean, there's still a few that would forever fight the denim rule or jacket rule, but for the most part you're especially in the South.

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You've seen a relaxation, but it's now completely shifted.

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I have, believe it or not?

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I mean I have what I would call, uh, hooligans for our sharp, our beloved charlotte fc, because I can't say our beloved carolina panthers, uh, because that just doesn't exist right now.

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Um, but you know, if I didn't allow football kits on game days to be worn here, I would miss out on 50 hooligans that come in every single home match.

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They hang out at the club, they come to the club and they march yes, they call it marching to the stadium and that is just where you've seen a shift and city clubs for the longest time were never seen as that.

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They were always seen as that.

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That's the one.

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I want to go bump elbows with the C-suite guys that I don't get to visit at the water cooler and with the change in, I'm going to use the term remote working even in our industry it cringes me to say it, sometimes being in the people business but you've had to kind of adapt and create spaces for people to not only come and conduct business but at the same time be able to walk right around the corner and go to happy hour.

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How did this?

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How did this come about for you?

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Like, like was it?

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Was it a strategic cause?

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You know I'm, you're, you're you, you do well, you're, you're a personality.

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So, like did, did they seek you out?

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How did this opportunity come and why did you take it?

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Sure.

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So to be perfectly honest, I spent the better part of 20 plus years, outside of the last five, in the Carolinas.

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I started in Greensboro and those areas working for McConnell Golf and kind of grew with that company and understood a for-profit model and tried to just.

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You know, my goal was always to continue to have the learning environment, work for the right people.

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You know, for me it was always about finding the right person to work with and work for, and so I sought that throughout my career was trying to find those patterns, and then it kind of shifted as I was given my first GM opportunity and moving forward was you know what's that?

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What's going to be the next challenge?

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Where can you make an impact?

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Right, for me it's never been about recognition or looking for those things and not to say that there's anything wrong in that direction on the upward mobility track.

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But you know I take pride and I find fulfillment in not what I do, but it's seeing the things that I do and how it affects what other people do.

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And so for me the city club has always been something for the longest time.

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Right, it had that clout.

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It was always one of those things in the Carolinas for a longstanding GM that was here for 25 plus years as kind of that city club, it was that place to go.

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And, of course, as a passion for food and beverage, I always said I wanted to be a city club guy and that was early on in my career, right.

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And nowadays most people say, oh yeah, you go to a city club because you got that better, you got that work-life integration balance thing going on right.

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Yeah, no Monday golf outing, sure, but for me it was for me to get back home.

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I really enjoyed my time in Jacksonville and I was so thankful for really the opportunity and spending that time and obviously going through COVID was just that.

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But the biggest reward for me and taking on this next challenge was, you know, you always want to leave a club or a place that you have an impact on better than when you found it.

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And not only that, you want to perpetuate the cycle and pay it forward.

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And you know, for me it was fantastic to see that when I took this position at City Club that they promoted the AGM, who was a Florida State guy, so it was the big reason why I hired him.

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But he was a longstanding manager at Cherokee and his family was there too and to see that kind of thing continue to perpetuate and move forward.

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I'll continue to move and take those if I can continue to grow places but really grow people.

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And so City Club kind of gave me that.

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Hey, 20 years ago I said I wanted to be here.

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Now the opportunity presents itself.

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I get to come back to the Carolinas.

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I will always say, despite being a Florida boy by birth, the Carolinas is home and it's always been embracing.

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And so that was the big initial step.

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What were some of the biggest challenges?

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Surprises going into a city club what, what were, what were some of the surprise?

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What, what, what were you just like, like you know, maybe six months in three months and two months.

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You're like, whoa, did not expect that Sure.

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Sure, I, I um, well, well, well, I'll, I'll keep it to sync um, uh for for our podcast here.

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But I, I think a lot of it is understanding kind of trends where history had gone through.

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You know, culture shifts.

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I think that was probably, and still is, one of the biggest areas of opportunity currently at this club is, you know, I have a club president that's been here for 37 years, right, what he views the club as now in city club age for a 75 year old club, that's that's a long time, especially in city clubs that tend to be more transient.

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They have a lot of turnover.

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Do you say the former GM was there for 25 years?

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Yes, oh, so you were really stirring the pot coming in brand new.

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There was one in between me.

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There was one in between the 25-year GM and myself coming on board and so, yes, it was 100% a complete change in where the culture had gone.

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Then, of course, going through COVID during that time as that GM leaves and transitions out and coming on board, it was definitely coming in and getting them to understand and focus on what the future member looks like.

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I remember distinctly coming in and working through bylaws and working through things that hadn't changed.

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That tends to happen for clubs when they go through that.

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So I came in in my first three months and we went through a complete bylaw change.

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They had not changed bylaws in some time.

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Those things needed to update, governance models needed to be worked on.

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So it was the real fun stuff.

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Let me tell you, when you come on board and the first thing you have to tackle is governance, Because that's my personality you know me, denny, well enough to know that I love diving into bylaws.

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But it was.

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It was really getting.

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You had to set the baseline, you had to look at those and it was almost kind of like a reset button, I think for this club, this city club and a lot of city clubs.

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They had to kind of really internalize and go okay, who are we?

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Because it's not a matter of if it's when, when something like this happens again and we have to be prepared.

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We have to understand who we are and where we're going, and I think that's the biggest thing we're working through right now is what is the future of Charlotte City Club look like?

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The potential is there, the city embraces it.

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The city of Charlotte is so young and I think this club, its biggest challenge, is going to be working through what used to be for 35, 40 years of this club's history, and what's the future going to look like?

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And not just for the member side, but I'm assuming then also the staffing side as well.

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No question, and I think even more so with that it always comes with transparency.

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More so with that it always comes with with transparency.

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And and so you know, obviously COVID changed a lot during that, during that time, from a staffing structure, especially again when, when you know, for almost a year and a half, you know, this club shuttered its doors, it went down to a staff of less than 10 at one point, so when they could do nothing right.

00:19:27.240 --> 00:19:38.440
So it was just about keeping the, keeping the boat moving and so obviously rebuilding that, rebuilding the staff structure in a very highly competitive market, has been a big key.

00:19:38.440 --> 00:19:52.082
But one thing that I did notice between that was there was a distinct separation and I'm a big proponent of really kind of coming on board when I was going through the interview process and discussing with them.

00:19:52.102 --> 00:19:55.192
A non-negotiable was you have to consider the staff experience.

00:19:55.192 --> 00:19:58.913
It's a direct correlation to your member experience and there is no interchanging that.

00:19:58.913 --> 00:20:14.842
If there is not something that's linear across there when you're looking at both sides of it, this club cannot be successful, and so it's been really working through those a complete restructure of of our payroll system, our benefit system, everything from that.

00:20:14.842 --> 00:20:16.432
That standpoint, and I will say that.

00:20:16.432 --> 00:20:25.400
But my predecessor that was here for a short stint after that 25 year GM, did a fantastic job starting to get them to look at those, look at those things.

00:20:25.440 --> 00:20:33.579
So I I was fortunate enough to at least have them thinking about those wheels in motion, and so we've been off and running.

00:20:33.579 --> 00:20:44.911
Our turnover rate has been under 10% this past year, which is fantastic, and a good chunk of that has been for people that are moving on from an upward trajectory.

00:20:44.911 --> 00:20:55.681
We're a small club I've got under 50 team members here in total and so any way we can do to have upward mobility is always encouraged.

00:20:55.681 --> 00:21:10.493
But at the same token we're only so big, so we want to make sure we're providing them the tools to be able to kind of move on to those next chapters and their goals major city that, just like you said, is growing.

00:21:10.513 --> 00:21:11.115
You have to be competitive.

00:21:11.115 --> 00:21:11.356
You have to.

00:21:11.356 --> 00:21:16.555
When there's, you know they can go work at any other type of hospice hospitality establishment and you know, thrive as, thrive as well.

00:21:17.135 --> 00:21:22.355
No question, I think they're, um, you know, one of the big uh things that we've done from the culinary perspective.

00:21:22.355 --> 00:21:25.913
We've been very fortunate to have a chef that's been here for 18 years.

00:21:25.913 --> 00:21:30.983
Um, he started off as a line cook and grew all the way through it, so cool success story.

00:21:30.983 --> 00:21:40.555
His current executive sous chef has been with him for five years and his dad was a sous chef for 10 years, going up through the industry at the very same club.

00:21:40.555 --> 00:21:43.690
So really cool story from a culinary perspective.

00:21:43.911 --> 00:21:48.061
But it's, how do we really tap into the same thing on the other side of team member?

00:21:48.061 --> 00:21:52.740
And luckily we've got two great culinary programs that are right at our doorstep.

00:21:52.740 --> 00:22:04.377
Johnson and Wales University has a fantastic program that's here, and so we've really started to try to tap into an internship program and build those things out to encourage those students.

00:22:04.377 --> 00:22:08.494
We also have a great community college that's right on the other side of us, here in the uptown market as well, that has a large one.

00:22:08.494 --> 00:22:12.000
A great community college that's right on the other side of us here in the uptown market as well, that has a large one.

00:22:12.000 --> 00:22:23.700
So really tapping into those, I think, for everything else with hospitality as it lies, especially in a city like this that's very entertainment driven and you're seeing the market back up and is really getting them to understand clubs.

00:22:23.700 --> 00:22:28.557
And where a good transition for us is we operate a little bit differently.

00:22:28.557 --> 00:22:33.788
Right, it's not, it's not your country club, it's a social club and so there's a relatability there.

00:22:33.788 --> 00:22:39.642
But where we try to to attract is talking about the other tools and those things.

00:22:39.642 --> 00:22:43.778
We can give you a good chunk of them, despite some of them being hospitality students.

00:22:43.959 --> 00:22:47.515
We bring a lot that aren't big proponent of of.

00:22:47.515 --> 00:22:49.601
We want to hire for the right attitude.

00:22:49.601 --> 00:22:59.529
I think if I had it pounded in my head by Whitney Reed, enough over and over again for the years that I've known her was was always, you know, hiring, hiring the attitude.

00:22:59.529 --> 00:23:04.696
So we've got a lot of people in a local flight school that are, that are here and working around those things.

00:23:04.696 --> 00:23:17.282
So it's for me it's it's, and where we encourage the team is is hire those right people that are going to be in place, because at a social club like this, that connection is the difference maker for us, right?

00:23:17.282 --> 00:23:20.160
It's again, we don't have a big golf course, we don't have those things.

00:23:20.160 --> 00:23:24.358
So it's that extension of your own home or your own business, or there.

00:23:24.358 --> 00:23:26.123
That really is the separator for us.

00:23:28.473 --> 00:23:29.336
Part of the hiring process.

00:23:29.336 --> 00:23:30.058
Do you like heights?

00:23:31.491 --> 00:23:32.855
Yeah, how do you feel about?

00:23:32.855 --> 00:23:34.480
How do you feel about riding in an elevator?

00:23:34.480 --> 00:23:39.261
For most, if you were claustrophobic, we might, you, you might get your steps in.

00:23:42.230 --> 00:23:52.772
You you mentioned a few times and in different capacities, about growing people and helping people move and grow and just expand their personalities, their minds, all that.

00:23:52.772 --> 00:23:58.471
And you've been a big proponent of the youths youths, uh, working with kids, Like.

00:23:58.471 --> 00:24:02.200
You've done stuff with the CMAA as well, Correct, have you?

00:24:02.200 --> 00:24:04.111
Where did that come from?

00:24:04.111 --> 00:24:05.334
Like, have you like?

00:24:05.334 --> 00:24:07.961
Was that instilled in you that learned, like?

00:24:07.961 --> 00:24:16.461
When did helping and trying to grow people become a part of you and your kind of internal program?

00:24:17.343 --> 00:24:18.424
you know, I think it was.

00:24:18.424 --> 00:24:19.626
I mean one.

00:24:19.626 --> 00:24:38.717
It stems from everything right at the very beginning, and and how you're taught to interact my parents and those, and what they did I was, you know, my dad traveled a lot and we moved around up and down the East coast early on and and so, um, you know, the ability to be able to engage and interact with something that came naturally right.

00:24:38.717 --> 00:24:42.124
It was, um, I enjoy doing it, I enjoy being around people.

00:24:42.124 --> 00:24:43.674
Um, you know it was.

00:24:43.674 --> 00:24:45.865
It's a reason why I have a degree in psychology and this.

00:24:45.865 --> 00:24:56.595
It started very focused and extend into that and then clearly went into a line of hospitality which I probably use my degree more in hospitality than I would if I'd gone be in a PSYD or something of that nature.

00:24:56.595 --> 00:25:05.510
But you know, forever, it's always been of interest to me right, why people do what they do, why they make the decisions they do, how they interact.

00:25:05.510 --> 00:25:12.553
And so, you know, hospitality was something that I just kind of fell into and and it came naturally.

00:25:12.553 --> 00:25:19.936
And then, and then, finding the right people surrounding yourself, with the right mentors, people that are going to guide you in that right direction.

00:25:19.936 --> 00:25:23.617
You know, the biggest thing that I learned early on.

00:25:23.690 --> 00:25:29.074
One of the quotes that always keep with me was a was a Truman quote and it's about.

00:25:29.074 --> 00:25:45.213
It's essentially about not taking credit right, and it talks about what you can accomplish, you know, when you're not taking credit for things, when you're not doing that, and I had plenty of leaders that were around me even early on at McConnell Golf and some of those things.

00:25:45.213 --> 00:25:45.513
I mean.

00:25:45.513 --> 00:25:52.680
I'll call his name out because Christian Anastasiadis has been a guy that, no matter what, I could pick up the phone and he'll always give me a little quick life lesson.

00:25:52.680 --> 00:25:59.673
It'll be in his Austrian accent and probably very short and quick, kind of like he used to talk to me in the.

00:25:59.673 --> 00:26:05.451
He would send me emails and it would be his whole sentence in the subject line and that's how we would.

00:26:05.451 --> 00:26:09.838
That's it, that's how we would talk, but it would always be something that would be giving me that direction.

00:26:09.838 --> 00:26:27.717
That was like, oh, you're right, I didn't think about it that way, but it's none of those people, any of those ones that I've ever had, is, from a leadership perspective, I could pick up the phone at any time, wouldn't matter if we haven't spoken in a year, two years, three years, and they would be able to.

00:26:27.717 --> 00:26:30.682
One know me, but two give me that advice.

00:26:30.682 --> 00:26:33.590
And so I said I always want to be that way.

00:26:33.590 --> 00:26:36.778
I want to enrich people that I work with and work for forever.

00:26:36.778 --> 00:26:42.621
And if that takes me to different spots and different clubs that I can continue to do that, I'm up for it.

00:26:42.621 --> 00:26:45.292
But it's what feeds me, it's what gives me energy.

00:26:45.292 --> 00:26:50.824
It's not working for the platinum club, it's not working for the big club, it's not being a part of that.

00:26:50.950 --> 00:26:53.459
And so you know people ask me why did you come to a city club?

00:26:53.459 --> 00:26:55.980
You know you were out of $15 million property.

00:26:55.980 --> 00:26:58.136
It was historic, on a Ross course.

00:26:58.136 --> 00:26:59.140
You were in Jacksonville.

00:26:59.140 --> 00:27:01.255
Yeah, some people love it, some people don't.

00:27:01.255 --> 00:27:11.271
I grew up there, so you know I call it Southern Georgia.

00:27:11.271 --> 00:27:13.057
We're not really in Florida, so I try to keep us with Southern Hospitality, you know.

00:27:13.057 --> 00:27:14.019
But you know you come to a smaller club.

00:27:14.019 --> 00:27:14.299
You know why?

00:27:14.299 --> 00:27:15.202
Because it was the next challenge.

00:27:15.202 --> 00:27:17.730
It was the next way to be able to make an impact on, on, on people's lives.

00:27:17.730 --> 00:27:21.580
And if I have that opportunity, that's what it's all about.

00:27:21.580 --> 00:27:27.056
It's it's not about being in this club business and working through it, which is kind of ironic, right?

00:27:27.056 --> 00:27:39.001
Because people joined clubs early on, because it was the thing and you were elite and you were this if you joined a club and it was about creeping doors closed, and for me it's about how many doors can I open.

00:27:40.711 --> 00:27:45.001
Can you give one word of advice in your best Australian accent?

00:27:47.269 --> 00:28:00.771
So so, look, listen, all right, so he's's austrian, so so, even so, like this, it would it would, you, would it would, it would have to be your best like terminator, right, like it, it, it would always be it.

00:28:00.771 --> 00:28:11.355
And he used to always tell me with, with, with cmaa, very early on, because he came up in in in, you know, eastern europe and and so I would always want to be a part of cma.

00:28:11.355 --> 00:28:24.800
It was this and this was all the things you were, you're taught and going through what you, you sure you want to drink that kool-aid, right, you drink the kool-aid, the cma kool-aid, uh, and of course, he supported everything and he did that always.

00:28:24.800 --> 00:28:29.973
But early on it was one of those things where he would do that, but it was was always forever I will.

00:28:29.973 --> 00:28:38.625
And again, it's, it's amazing the things and the memories you take from those people that at that time were probably hard on you.

00:28:38.625 --> 00:28:47.559
Right, they, they, they expected things out of you, they, they pushed you harder than than others, and you always ask those questions and why and this.

00:28:47.559 --> 00:29:06.478
But this very day, like I'd pick up the phone and he wouldn't think about anything else, he'd probably give me the same stuff and he'd give me the same verbiage and the same jargon, but for me it's like I want to grow to be leaders like that, those selfless ones that it's not about the credit.

00:29:06.979 --> 00:29:16.615
I listened to someone who was here in Charlotte for a period of time but now at Benita and was there for 23 years if you don't count the stint up here at Charlotte Country Club.

00:29:17.913 --> 00:29:29.894
But Fred Fung did an interview in that and he was up for an award and refused to take it and it said it's not about that for me, that that's not where I see teams grow.

00:29:29.894 --> 00:29:32.896
The Truman quote kind of instilled some of those things for me.

00:29:32.896 --> 00:29:52.336
But those are to me the leaders that truly make the impact on our industry is recognizing that it's very basic, that we're in the people business selling in this aren't truly tangible to every single person.

00:29:52.336 --> 00:29:52.698
It's emotional.

00:29:52.698 --> 00:29:54.587
You and I talked earlier about emotional equity and those are the things we're really selling.

00:29:54.587 --> 00:29:57.239
But those are other people's memories, they're not yours.

00:29:57.239 --> 00:30:02.414
And so when you recognize those things, you understand the value that it means for that human connection.

00:30:02.414 --> 00:30:10.301
And so, point blank, if I ever find moments that I'm not doing that or not making those impacts and doing that, then to me it's time to look at the next show.

00:30:11.830 --> 00:30:17.116
No, cause there are people who and, and there's nothing wrong with it, but they want the awards, they want the.

00:30:17.116 --> 00:30:18.520
You know whatever I mean.

00:30:18.520 --> 00:30:19.634
I even forgot you're.

00:30:19.634 --> 00:30:22.913
You're a CCM Cause you, you don't even have that in your, in your title.

00:30:22.913 --> 00:30:24.015
Oh no man.

00:30:24.675 --> 00:30:26.659
Listen, if you really saw the things that I kept up here.

00:30:26.659 --> 00:30:31.212
So I don't have any of the old plaques and stuff and listen, I love them.

00:30:31.212 --> 00:30:33.439
Don't get me wrong, I won't.

00:30:33.439 --> 00:30:41.161
I won't get on CMA for now, charging you for those plaques now from what I've heard, but I'm not I've yet to get my CTE, I haven't had a chance to get up and do all the education.

00:30:41.161 --> 00:30:43.836
But the two biggest thing I keep that.

00:30:43.836 --> 00:30:47.882
That's my former club at San Jose, and then I keep one of the first clubs that I've been a part.

00:30:48.502 --> 00:30:51.023
And it's not about those other things.

00:30:51.023 --> 00:31:09.817
For me, that's it's looking up at those memories and seeing the things that you had an impact on, the people that you were able to touch in one way or another, or the people that touched you, and that's that's the kind of stuff that I like to keep in my office, which is very minimal at this point, but that those are the things for me to give you that reminder.

00:31:09.817 --> 00:31:12.281
Um, and yes, the accomplishments are great.

00:31:12.281 --> 00:31:34.653
Right, the CCM was, was one of those things that shows the hard work and the dedication that you put towards um for you, which has to be an important part, um, but it's those things to me that show the the impact that you've been able to do as an individual and for the record, I was not knocking it For the total record, that was just a joke.

00:31:35.275 --> 00:31:35.816
It is up.

00:31:35.816 --> 00:31:54.481
It just happens to be over here, don't worry For the record, but I came here because I saw the opportunity for vision in a city that is growing at an exponential rate and I'm really trying to get this board, this membership, to really think outside the box.

00:31:54.481 --> 00:31:58.257
And so when you said about different location in there, that's just the tip of the iceberg.

00:31:58.257 --> 00:32:10.843
We've been looking at trying to create annex positions, we've been looking at different locations, we've been looking at merger acquisitions, we've been looking at going for profit and seeing where those things go.

00:32:10.843 --> 00:32:13.137
We're in discussions about purchasing the building.

00:32:15.551 --> 00:32:39.009
So there's some really cool things that's going forth and so it's not for anything to touch on, but even as you kind of promote it out there, there's definitely some things down the pipeline that I want, or I hope people are seeing city clubs in the Southeast that can have the same visionary and historical respect that some of the Northern clubs have, because it hasn't been that way.

00:32:39.150 --> 00:32:56.593
Right, most of those history clubs and all you're looking at, right, the Union Club and any other, detroit, dac and MAC and all those right, those are all long, historical, 150 plus year clubs that have grown over that time and the Southeast, just it never had that because it doesn't have the culinary meccas outside of Atlanta.

00:32:56.593 --> 00:33:11.421
And what Charlotte is attempting to grow, please, god, don't let it be the next Atlanta, but those things outside of Miami to New York just you don't see in the Southeast, and so a city like Charlotte really has an opportunity for that to grow.

00:33:11.421 --> 00:33:25.237
So if something from a message standpoint that kind of comes out, there is is those are the things that I'm trying to get to be conveyed, cause there's a there's a really big windshield for this club, and so I see the future is bright.

00:33:25.237 --> 00:33:37.965
So maybe it's a follow-up episode after some things and surprises come out that we can't put on, because probably over the course of the next year we're going to see some pretty cool tectonic shifts in this city club's future.

00:33:44.317 --> 00:33:54.395
We're not there yet is the fact that those conversations were being had, those what ifs, because those are just fun conversations, to have no negativity, just to go what if we did this?

00:33:54.656 --> 00:33:55.239
Yeah, oh my God, yeah.

00:33:55.239 --> 00:34:01.698
And then you just expand on it and there is no, because you're just having fun, there is no, you're not acting on anything.

00:34:01.698 --> 00:34:02.701
It's just, hey, what if we did this?

00:34:02.701 --> 00:34:03.934
Yeah, and then what if we did that too?

00:34:03.934 --> 00:34:16.259
And then what if this happened?

00:34:16.259 --> 00:34:17.824
What if this character did that?

00:34:17.824 --> 00:34:18.407
What if that?

00:34:18.467 --> 00:34:20.719
And then you know it's just all those what ifs, what ifs.

00:34:20.719 --> 00:34:26.195
And then they have another day where they go okay, well, that can't happen, no, but just in those moments of what if we did this?

00:34:26.195 --> 00:34:27.197
What if we bought the building?

00:34:27.197 --> 00:34:27.619
What if we?

00:34:27.619 --> 00:34:28.740
And what if we bought someone else?

00:34:28.740 --> 00:34:29.242
What if we did this?

00:34:29.242 --> 00:34:29.903
What if we bought the building?

00:34:29.903 --> 00:34:30.123
What if we?

00:34:30.123 --> 00:34:30.764
What if we bought someone else?

00:34:30.764 --> 00:34:31.407
What if we were big on profit?

00:34:31.407 --> 00:34:34.231
Like it's just having those fun conversations that just go Uh.

00:34:34.231 --> 00:34:34.472
And.

00:34:34.472 --> 00:34:51.025
And the one thing I really liked is uh, and there was a quote I heard I forget who it was, but it was talking about the windshield and um, there's a reason why the windshield is so big and the and why the rear view mirror is so so small, see you'll go back and listen to this one.

00:34:51.070 --> 00:34:57.400
You'll hear it at the beginning that I talked about the windshield versus the rear view, see, but it's, it's, it's one of those that.

00:34:57.400 --> 00:34:58.552
That for me, it's, it's.

00:34:58.552 --> 00:34:59.353
Those are the.

00:34:59.353 --> 00:35:19.960
That's the fun part too about, about those, and that was a big part of coming to a place like a city club at a golf club, country club, in this, right, there's so many different factions and so much spread apart as to where your identity can be.

00:35:19.960 --> 00:35:21.503
This one has a pretty forward path as to its identity.

00:35:21.503 --> 00:35:26.914
It's just about what the future club looks like and who you're going to market to, but it's not going to continue to be.

00:35:26.914 --> 00:35:29.983
Oh well, six years we've got a plan for a golf course innovation but no, we need more tennis courts.

00:35:29.983 --> 00:35:32.469
And now we need Padel, because pickleball is a bad thing.

00:35:32.469 --> 00:35:33.972
Now, we don't, that doesn't exist, you know, and and so it's.

00:35:33.992 --> 00:35:35.418
I will say some of those things from the fun bucket.

00:35:35.418 --> 00:35:36.119
Right, that's.

00:35:36.119 --> 00:35:37.233
That's been something different.

00:35:37.233 --> 00:35:44.639
As far as being in the city club, because there's there's only so many avenues outside of, oh hey, we're going to go look at merging with another golf club in that which.

00:35:44.639 --> 00:35:48.961
That's also been a part of the discussion, but anyways, it's not.

00:35:48.961 --> 00:35:55.306
I could talk about it forever about the fun stuff, but I've, I've, I've really appreciated the time and opportunity.

00:35:55.306 --> 00:36:13.541
Like I said, what you're doing, what you're doing with with private club radio, is pretty cool and I think, if nothing more, if it gets exposure to not just bringing on GMs and doing that but but gets other managers or other people in hospitality kind of engaged because of the way you're delivering those messages to me it's a win.

00:36:14.150 --> 00:36:19.695
Appreciate you, all you're doing for the industry, all you have done for the industry and thanks for coming on.

00:36:19.695 --> 00:36:21.500
Really really appreciate it Always, brother.

00:36:21.500 --> 00:36:22.222
Good to see you, man.

00:36:22.222 --> 00:36:25.456
Hope you all enjoyed that.

00:36:25.456 --> 00:36:26.119
I know I did.

00:36:26.119 --> 00:36:32.900
If you enjoyed it, share it with a friend, a colleague, a staff member, someone who you think might enjoy the listen.

00:36:32.900 --> 00:36:37.074
You can do me a solid leave, a five-star rating and review.

00:36:37.074 --> 00:36:41.972
On whatever platform you listen to, it means the world and helps with the algorithms.

00:36:41.972 --> 00:36:43.378
That's this episode.

00:36:43.378 --> 00:36:44.581
I'm Danny Corby.

00:36:44.581 --> 00:36:46.309
Catch y'all on the flippity flip.