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Dec. 23, 2024

412: From Santa Brunch to Friendsgiving: How Sandra Petti Brings Club Events to Life

What does it take to pull off events that members talk about all year? Just ask Sandra Petti, Chief of Staff and Membership Director at Nashawtuc Country Club. Sandra is a pro at creating experiences that bring families together, keep members engaged, and make everyone feel like VIPs.

In this episode, Sandra pulls back the curtain on how she plans and executes everything from intimate dinners to massive events like Santa Brunch (spoiler: there were two Santas!). We get into how she balances creativity with practicality, handles curveballs during events, and keeps her team motivated to deliver at the highest level.

You’ll hear:

  • How Sandra brings fresh ideas to long-standing traditions.
  • The little details that take a good event to unforgettable.
  • Tips for fostering a family-friendly, welcoming vibe at your club.

Sandra’s passion for people and knack for organization will leave you fired up to bring your club’s events to the next level.

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Chapters

00:00 - Success Stories in Private Club Management

13:50 - Orchestrating Christmas Magic in Private Club

23:41 - Enhancing Club Member Experience

30:12 - Summer Camp Fun and Games

Transcript
WEBVTT

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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.

00:00:14.683 --> 00:00:20.362
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.

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I am super excited, stoked, to be chatting with the wonderful and magnificent Sandra Petty from Neshada Country Club in Concord, massachusetts.

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What a treat, what a delight.

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What a great human, a wonderful person she is and super stoked to have her here on the show chatting with us.

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She is the Chief of Staff, membership and Marketing Director at Neshada Country Club and she does so much for the club and it shows she pulls off events so magical.

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Even Santa himself needs two stand-ins to keep up.

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Uh, we're going to talk about their santa brunch, where she has to have two santas, two seatings going on at the same time, because she has over 600 attendees coming through and is all just so perfectly choreographed and timed with seating charts, acapella, carolers.

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It is quite the event.

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But it's not just this event, all of her events.

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Her entire club is rocking and rolling.

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They just went through an amazing, amazing renovation and Sandra shares the inside scoop on turning every member touchpoint into something that's extraordinary and why she believes families are the future of clubs and how her chief of staff role helps keep her club's vision on course.

00:01:55.025 --> 00:02:21.210
This is I mean, there's so much packed into this episode we're gonna have to probably do another one because what she has done with CRMs and automations that help enhance and allow her to duplicate herself, because she uses automation to enhance and not to take away, and uses it in a way that it still provides a memorable experience.

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I think a lot of people think of automation.

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They think of like losing that personal touch, but when it's done right, no one's ever going to notice.

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And what I really enjoy about this episode is obviously on the show we bring on guests and people who are names, people who are just out there at a club, who are just doing well in small cities and just out there killing it.

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And that's what this episode is.

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It's just a club that is just out there killing it for their club, for their members, for their communities, for the families involved, and this episode is just so good and I am super, super, super excited for this one to be happening.

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Before we get to the episode, quick thanks to some of our show partners Concert Golf Partners, kenneth's Member Vetting and Golf Life Navigators, as well as myself the Denny Corby Experience there's excitement, there's mystery, also there's magic.

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It is the most fun member event you will have guaranteed.

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If you're looking for a very fun, interactive, crowd-focused show, check out DennyCorbycom and, better yet, sign up for our newsletter, private Club Radio, because I will be sending out an almost finished with the club entertainment guide.

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All things private golf and country clubs.

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When it comes to member events, I go deep.

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It is.

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It's going to be epic.

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If you want early access, make sure you sign up to the newsletter.

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Everyone who signs up to the newsletter gets early access.

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Privateclubradiocom it pops right up.

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

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Private Club Radio listeners.

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Let's welcome my friend and soon to be yours, sandra Petty.

00:04:11.753 --> 00:04:14.764
I'm doing well Selling any memberships today.

00:04:16.028 --> 00:04:18.533
Yes, yes, I did.

00:04:21.204 --> 00:04:25.492
How many members Do you guys have a wait list or no?

00:04:25.560 --> 00:04:27.107
We don't have a wait list right now.

00:04:27.107 --> 00:04:33.273
We are looking for probably 10 to 15, maybe even 20 more members.

00:04:33.273 --> 00:04:45.254
The club is large and a lot of our members travel in the summer, so we have the capacity to actually have more members during peak season or perceived peak.

00:04:45.254 --> 00:04:49.011
Our busiest times are like May and June and September and October.

00:04:49.011 --> 00:04:57.232
As I said, our members travel quite a bit, so you're able to get a tea time in the summer and a seat at the pool and dining.

00:04:58.100 --> 00:04:59.446
So waitlist is always a thing.

00:05:00.040 --> 00:05:02.990
No, I mean I position it that way.

00:05:02.990 --> 00:05:11.552
I can give you access in a climate where there's not a lot of access and a customer that's looking for access for their family.

00:05:12.495 --> 00:05:20.274
Yeah, and because your sales skills are good, so you know who you're selling to, so you know what parts to hit.

00:05:20.274 --> 00:05:23.389
Because you know some people that's probably not even a care for them in the world.

00:05:23.389 --> 00:05:29.822
They don't care that they need that access, so why even bother talking to them about that or trying to do that?

00:05:29.822 --> 00:05:30.803
No, we're you.

00:05:30.803 --> 00:05:32.307
You weren't always in clubs, right?

00:05:33.209 --> 00:05:43.690
no, no, I was a wedding planner for 15 years that's how you have so much patience is that it?

00:05:43.690 --> 00:05:45.492
It Is that what we're calling it today?

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I don't know.

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I don't know, I just felt like that was the right word.

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I was a um.

00:05:52.468 --> 00:05:53.946
I shouldn't even tell you this.

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I was a model for 12 years.

00:05:56.389 --> 00:06:01.442
I modeled for a company called Barbizon they're big in Boston and I did some.

00:06:01.523 --> 00:06:02.165
Barbizon.

00:06:02.963 --> 00:06:10.552
Barbizon, all of it, and you learn how to act when you need to.

00:06:10.552 --> 00:06:14.528
And you're really a duck on water, a lot, you know.

00:06:14.528 --> 00:06:18.081
Don't let them see how fast you're paddling oh, that's a funny analogy.

00:06:18.081 --> 00:06:21.767
Yeah, yeah that's absolutely true, yeah and then and then.

00:06:21.848 --> 00:06:22.288
How did you?

00:06:22.288 --> 00:06:23.791
How did you find clubs?

00:06:23.791 --> 00:06:24.894
Did clubs find you?

00:06:26.661 --> 00:06:28.646
What was that journey?

00:06:28.646 --> 00:06:30.851
So I was a wedding planner for 15 years.

00:06:30.851 --> 00:06:39.382
In the fall of the economy I lost my job and decided to pick up golf.

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My husband had just started and I went to the range with him one day, hit a ball, it went in the air and I said, all right, I'm going to need a lesson because I'm totally hooked.

00:06:52.884 --> 00:06:54.108
And then I would just really hang out at the driving range.

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I was a range rat, hang out with the boys, learned how to play with the boys, and I say golf saved my life.

00:06:59.863 --> 00:07:03.548
And I used to walk around and say if I could only get a job in the golf world, that would be dynamite.

00:07:03.548 --> 00:07:04.971
And so I did.

00:07:04.971 --> 00:07:12.380
I got a job at Ipswich Country Club, north of Boston, and was the member relations person.

00:07:12.380 --> 00:07:17.175
And then this came along and I applied and I got it.

00:07:17.175 --> 00:07:18.660
But it was quite an interview process.

00:07:18.660 --> 00:07:20.144
It was an eight hour interview.

00:07:21.428 --> 00:07:21.709
What?

00:07:21.709 --> 00:07:23.081
Eight hour interview?

00:07:23.081 --> 00:07:25.649
Single, Single interview for eight hours.

00:07:26.350 --> 00:07:40.134
It started with two pages of essay questions that I needed to complete and send back by a certain day, and then they told me that they would call down the group and there'd be a phone interview, which I never got.

00:07:40.134 --> 00:07:42.521
I got an invitation to come to the club.

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I needed to bring my spouse and plan on being here the whole day.

00:07:48.182 --> 00:07:48.925
With your spouse.

00:07:49.105 --> 00:07:53.906
With my spouse so he's like what I'm like you're doing this.

00:07:54.560 --> 00:07:58.091
Now is this at Neshotic Mm-hmm.

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It was a prior GM and when I arrived it was very well crafted in that I was taken and my husband and I were together, say like the first hour, and then they separated us and we went to all the departments.

00:08:16.654 --> 00:08:23.408
I only met with team members, never met with the GM, who, as you know, I work very closely with the GM.

00:08:23.408 --> 00:08:29.235
And then he, the GM, met with my husband.

00:08:29.235 --> 00:08:34.052
So when you think about it, they can ask questions to my husband that they can't ask me.

00:08:34.052 --> 00:08:36.623
I met with the board.

00:08:36.623 --> 00:08:38.346
I met with the membership committee.

00:08:38.346 --> 00:08:46.181
I had a presentation about what I do and how I do it and they talked to Bob about what do you like to do for fun?

00:08:46.181 --> 00:08:49.191
You know sat at the bar and you know.

00:08:49.291 --> 00:09:01.464
Then I had to go to dinner with a bunch of members and some employees and the member sitting across from me was a banker and he said to me there's no money in banking?

00:09:01.464 --> 00:09:02.969
I had yeah, that was a face like oh, okay.

00:09:02.969 --> 00:09:04.153
And he asked me there's no money in banking?

00:09:04.153 --> 00:09:04.975
I had yeah, that was a face like oh, okay.

00:09:04.975 --> 00:09:09.927
And he asked me what do I think the future of clubs is going to be?

00:09:09.927 --> 00:09:13.313
And I said it's all about the family.

00:09:13.313 --> 00:09:23.407
You have to be able to attract young families who will be with you longer and provide programming that meets the needs of them, their wife and their children.

00:09:23.407 --> 00:09:26.553
And he said right to me I couldn't disagree more.

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Salad hadn't even hit the table.

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I'm like, oh, this is going to be a long one.

00:09:31.725 --> 00:09:32.928
Another gin and tonic please.

00:09:33.089 --> 00:09:34.172
Yes, please One more.

00:09:34.432 --> 00:09:34.633
Yeah.

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So we left and my husband was like, wow, you're really quiet.

00:09:39.750 --> 00:09:47.562
I'm like, oh, totally lost it there, and they called me the next day and said you want to come work for us?

00:09:47.582 --> 00:09:58.890
that was probably like a internal prank yeah, they, they all talked about it before like let's see how uncomfortable we can make sandra well, I said it to the gm after I was in.

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I'm like, what were you thinking, setting me up with him?

00:10:01.643 --> 00:10:04.149
And he said that's the answer he needed to hear.

00:10:04.149 --> 00:10:05.533
That's who I wanted.

00:10:05.533 --> 00:10:11.249
I didn't want someone who said, well, it should be legacy, cause that's what he believed, it's all legacy.

00:10:11.249 --> 00:10:13.846
My son should have priority over everyone else.

00:10:13.846 --> 00:10:19.019
That whole thing and that was really a dying mentality.

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If you didn't embrace the family aspect of it, you were going to miss the boat.

00:10:24.620 --> 00:10:24.701
Is.

00:10:24.701 --> 00:10:26.849
Is he still a member or did he?

00:10:26.889 --> 00:10:27.029
leave.

00:10:27.029 --> 00:10:28.525
He is not a member anymore.

00:10:33.922 --> 00:10:34.605
Oh, that's good.

00:10:34.605 --> 00:10:37.626
How, how soon after?

00:10:39.142 --> 00:10:42.460
Oh, I'd say three years after four years yeah.

00:10:42.740 --> 00:10:44.206
Oh, okay, so he okay.

00:10:48.200 --> 00:10:53.432
But he did come to an event that was like a member mixer or something and uh, he came over to me and said you know, you've really done a good job here.

00:10:53.432 --> 00:10:57.791
I didn't see the vision you were laying out, but it really has come to fruition.

00:10:57.791 --> 00:11:00.744
I'm like thank you yeah, thank you.

00:11:01.063 --> 00:11:01.164
Now.

00:11:01.164 --> 00:11:02.447
Did you were always?

00:11:02.447 --> 00:11:09.063
Did you always have this personality and this kind of go getter going to like, do it, like was?

00:11:09.063 --> 00:11:10.028
Did you always?

00:11:10.028 --> 00:11:12.808
Was that always in you or did it like evolve over time?

00:11:14.441 --> 00:11:16.447
Always in me, always in me.

00:11:16.447 --> 00:11:18.908
My family really wants to know where I came from.

00:11:18.908 --> 00:11:24.169
I um, I grew up like the big bang theory.

00:11:24.169 --> 00:11:30.769
I have twin brothers that are extraordinarily brilliant organic chemist and nuclear engineer, you're a triplet.

00:11:30.769 --> 00:11:33.587
No, they're twins and I'm Penny.

00:11:33.688 --> 00:11:40.173
Oh, I thought maybe you had three of you, okay.

00:11:40.679 --> 00:11:40.860
No.

00:11:40.860 --> 00:11:44.611
So they came first and of course my parents were glowing and proud.

00:11:44.611 --> 00:11:52.553
And then there was me, and I think I was just vying for attention and so, being Italian, allowed me more and more.

00:11:53.400 --> 00:11:55.801
Hello, my name is Ty, exactly.

00:11:56.160 --> 00:11:56.701
Exactly.

00:11:56.701 --> 00:12:02.629
So really I'd sit there at dinner and have no idea what was going on the conversation.

00:12:02.629 --> 00:12:05.972
You know, I was like yeah, I am Penny, I am Penny from the big bang.

00:12:05.972 --> 00:12:08.755
Like okay, yeah, that sounds good.

00:12:11.539 --> 00:12:24.974
What, what skills transferred from the wedding business, the wedding planning, doing all that coming over to member membership relations, members communications, stuff like that.

00:12:26.340 --> 00:12:27.121
Well, it's it's.

00:12:27.121 --> 00:12:29.567
It goes back to how you make them feel, right.

00:12:29.567 --> 00:12:52.346
I mean you can choose to have your wedding anywhere, you can choose to be a member at any club, but at the end of the day it's how you make them feel and that they are your favorite member at that time, or all the time, or you are the favorite bride I've had and that mentality of wanting to serve and see the joy on other people's face.

00:12:52.346 --> 00:12:56.494
I enjoy that and my organizational skills.

00:12:56.494 --> 00:12:59.725
So that's a big one being a wedding planner.

00:12:59.725 --> 00:13:20.802
You need to be organized, and so the larger events that we do here at the club that I we all affectionately call Sandra's majors and they are the majors, they're the big ones, they're over 500 people and you need someone who can kind of see the entire picture and all the aspects and pull it together.

00:13:20.802 --> 00:13:22.544
A lot of logistics that go into it.

00:13:24.967 --> 00:13:28.393
So I think all of that just what are these majors?

00:13:28.393 --> 00:13:30.015
What are the majors?

00:13:31.299 --> 00:13:47.527
Easter, mother's Day, the Men's Invitational, which is a three-day event, halloween it's huge at Neshotic and Santa Brunch, which opens up tomorrow, and then the annual ball.

00:13:47.527 --> 00:13:48.945
Those are the majors.

00:13:50.441 --> 00:13:52.386
What your Santa bro.

00:13:52.386 --> 00:13:55.684
You have what Like two different seatings, two different Santas.

00:13:55.684 --> 00:13:57.186
It's a constant flow.

00:13:57.186 --> 00:14:03.947
You were talking about that when we were at at Neshotic and I was like what is going on Like, oh, it's Santa bro.

00:14:03.947 --> 00:14:10.360
I'll be like what is going on Like, oh, it's Santa I'm like what To Santa?

00:14:10.380 --> 00:14:10.902
I was like this is bonkers.

00:14:10.902 --> 00:14:15.275
So Santa used to come in a helicopter because it's Neshotic and he'd land on the driving range and the kids loved it.

00:14:15.275 --> 00:14:18.682
But at that point we were only doing like 250 people.

00:14:18.682 --> 00:14:23.389
I now have 625 to 650 people that I need to serve.

00:14:23.389 --> 00:14:25.572
So it is again orchestrated.

00:14:26.793 --> 00:14:28.760
I split the building into two sides.

00:14:28.760 --> 00:14:32.527
There are two Santas, two Mrs Clauses, elves.

00:14:32.527 --> 00:14:39.850
Every kid gets a gift and then you arrive and you know to stay on which side.

00:14:39.850 --> 00:14:42.359
Wherever you're seated, you stay on that side of the building.

00:14:42.359 --> 00:15:00.130
So as we crossed over to the other side for lunch, we would never allow that, and so I do send all of the attendees an email prior that states you know what to know before you go and that we don't want to ruin the spirit of Christmas for anyone.

00:15:00.130 --> 00:15:12.067
So we ask that you stay on the side that you've been assigned to and I do a floor plan based on the guests and who they normally sit with friends, families, people they know.

00:15:12.067 --> 00:15:14.988
So they don't say, oh, I want to run over and see if Denny's there.

00:15:14.988 --> 00:15:23.764
No, no, you're not running over to see if Denny's there, and it's really-.

00:15:23.783 --> 00:15:30.866
You're not going anywhere kid, you're going nowhere, and it's really, it's great and the kids all love it.

00:15:30.866 --> 00:15:41.366
And then they usually leave here and head downtown to a Santa parade that they do in a tree lighting in Concord and it's the same Santa.

00:15:41.941 --> 00:15:58.751
So when they get there they see the same Santa, and it's magic Santa's hustling they're like it's him well for half of them yes the other half, they're like oh wait who's this?

00:15:58.751 --> 00:15:59.874
Who's this imposter?

00:16:00.174 --> 00:16:01.582
who's this imposter?

00:16:03.125 --> 00:16:03.307
what?

00:16:03.307 --> 00:16:05.913
When did you start doing?

00:16:05.913 --> 00:16:07.778
Have you always done the two Santas, or was?

00:16:08.018 --> 00:16:08.720
it like one year.

00:16:08.720 --> 00:16:09.844
You're like what if we had?

00:16:09.904 --> 00:16:11.807
two and you're like oh, of course, that just makes sense.

00:16:13.201 --> 00:16:14.086
I think it was 22.

00:16:14.086 --> 00:16:19.230
It was December of 22.

00:16:19.571 --> 00:16:22.307
Did what you did, did you ruin the spirit for one family.

00:16:22.307 --> 00:16:23.465
This kid freaked out.

00:16:24.020 --> 00:16:25.346
No, none of that happened.

00:16:25.346 --> 00:16:31.625
Fortunately, I um, I just had a huge, huge turnout and I thought it was going to be fine.

00:16:31.625 --> 00:16:38.224
And then our lovely GM, chris the math wizard, says have you done the math?

00:16:38.224 --> 00:16:41.331
And he was in Europe and he was coming home for it.

00:16:41.331 --> 00:16:43.341
He's like how many people do you have?

00:16:43.341 --> 00:16:44.583
And then he's like have you done the math?

00:16:44.583 --> 00:16:45.585
I'm like no, what math?

00:16:45.585 --> 00:16:47.729
No, I don't do math, I do happy.

00:16:47.729 --> 00:16:52.134
And he said that gives Santa 30 seconds with each kid.

00:16:52.701 --> 00:16:55.028
If a kid has a meltdown, we're going to have a problem.

00:16:55.028 --> 00:16:57.802
We're not going to be able to turn the table all of it back up.

00:16:57.802 --> 00:17:03.269
You know, if somebody doesn't have a good time with Santa, it's going to be a problem.

00:17:03.269 --> 00:17:07.453
I'm like okay, give me 20 minutes.

00:17:07.453 --> 00:17:08.875
I called Santa.

00:17:08.875 --> 00:17:09.695
I said who do you know?

00:17:09.695 --> 00:17:10.000
He goes?

00:17:10.000 --> 00:17:12.188
Oh, I got a friend who's Santa, because they all know each other.

00:17:12.188 --> 00:17:16.821
It's like the Santa group.

00:17:16.821 --> 00:17:20.430
I got a guy and I said do you have a lady too?

00:17:20.430 --> 00:17:21.673
He's like I can get you a lady.

00:17:21.673 --> 00:17:25.405
And so we did two in each room and I sorted it.

00:17:25.405 --> 00:17:31.766
And then when the kids arrive, I give them a ticket that says I talked to Santa this morning.

00:17:31.766 --> 00:17:33.509
He wants to see you at 11 o'clock.

00:17:33.509 --> 00:17:36.463
This is your ticket to see Santa and they'll you know they're glowing.

00:17:36.463 --> 00:17:38.690
So then they nudge mom and dad.

00:17:38.690 --> 00:17:39.271
We got to go.

00:17:39.271 --> 00:17:41.045
We got to go see Santa at 11.

00:17:41.045 --> 00:17:47.028
Soon, as you get up, I flipped that table and so I'm able to turn the tables quickly here.

00:17:50.079 --> 00:17:51.864
So is Santa still in the same rooms, or is he?

00:17:51.884 --> 00:18:07.769
in a different room, like so he's in a different room so there's the ballroom where we were and then where the bar was, in that little room, santa yeah and then on the other side, santa's in one of the back rooms and then we seat in the grill in the summer and then all the food goes in that middle area.

00:18:07.769 --> 00:18:08.442
Yep, and then I'm sure, if you needed to summer.

00:18:08.404 --> 00:18:13.369
And then all the food goes in that middle area, yep, and then I'm sure, if you needed to, you can pipe and drape and make a next door wall.

00:18:13.369 --> 00:18:16.288
Yeah, that's, that's.

00:18:16.460 --> 00:18:21.650
But I have to hustle Santa in the back door, Santa's in the back door, through the kitchen's sort.

00:18:21.650 --> 00:18:23.586
Go over there, stay on your own side.

00:18:26.082 --> 00:18:27.184
You got walkie talkies.

00:18:27.184 --> 00:18:28.709
People are the aisles clear.

00:18:28.709 --> 00:18:29.490
Santa's coming through.

00:18:29.799 --> 00:18:31.105
The package is in the open.

00:18:31.105 --> 00:18:33.166
I do wear a headset.

00:18:33.166 --> 00:18:36.223
It's too many people.

00:18:37.106 --> 00:18:39.765
No one's on it, but it just looks so official.

00:18:40.366 --> 00:18:45.769
Well, the first year was totally decor and making the image come out.

00:18:46.701 --> 00:18:50.010
Well, it's the easiest way to get out of conversations.

00:18:50.010 --> 00:18:56.587
You know a member, someone's trying to chat, you're like, yeah, oh right, so yeah, I got to go, sorry.

00:18:56.587 --> 00:18:58.605
And then bang, you're out.

00:18:59.528 --> 00:18:59.969
You got it.

00:19:00.329 --> 00:19:00.730
You're out.

00:19:02.122 --> 00:19:03.226
No, it's imperative.

00:19:03.226 --> 00:19:04.068
There's too many people.

00:19:05.962 --> 00:19:06.884
Yeah, that's so cool.

00:19:06.884 --> 00:19:08.990
What other cool little touches do you do for?

00:19:14.779 --> 00:19:26.931
We have high school carolers come the Glee Club essentially and they are 10 kids, boys and girls, that walk around and sing acapella and all the carols and they walk through the rooms and the little kids' jaws drop.

00:19:26.931 --> 00:19:33.997
They can't believe that sound comes out of their mouth and it's very inspiring and emotional.

00:19:33.997 --> 00:19:42.645
People are crying because it's beautiful and as they walk in they're lined up on the staircase normally as people are walking in and they're singing and it's like it's impressive.

00:19:42.967 --> 00:19:53.170
Yeah, yeah, and I usually get a big victorian sleigh and put it outside with packages in it and so they can take pictures there and it's a great day.

00:19:53.592 --> 00:19:59.748
It's a great day yeah, now do you have two different kids, two different groups of kids singing that.

00:19:59.748 --> 00:20:01.752
So now you know they sing the whole time.

00:20:01.853 --> 00:20:15.042
So I'll bring them in more like 10 o'clock instead of 9 30 when people start, but they'll get it and then they'll end earlier, because they too go to the tree lighting downtown and they um head down there and do their thing at four o'clock.

00:20:15.042 --> 00:20:18.529
So it's impressive it's a great day.

00:20:18.529 --> 00:20:25.829
It's crazy, but when all things fire properly, it's a great day so what time does it all start?

00:20:26.691 --> 00:20:33.506
9.30 is the first seating and it's, you know, like 70 people every half hour, so about 140 an hour.

00:20:33.506 --> 00:20:39.531
And everybody wants, you know, 11 o'clock and I can't do that.

00:20:39.531 --> 00:20:42.748
So there's a lot of moving and shaking.

00:20:43.409 --> 00:20:43.609
Yeah.

00:20:43.730 --> 00:20:44.632
We do the best we can.

00:20:45.180 --> 00:20:55.493
No, I totally, and I'm sure you, the people who have their, their set time, but they show up when they show up and I will say so, our early birds.

00:20:55.634 --> 00:21:04.126
I know who they are and in a pinch I've moved them to 9 15 because they're going to be there at 9 15 anyway, and that allows me to pick up a few more seats.

00:21:04.126 --> 00:21:06.192
But um, they're.

00:21:06.192 --> 00:21:18.483
This membership is pretty well rehearsed I don't want to say trained, but they know how many people we do and they're very appreciative of the staff and what actually has to get executed.

00:21:18.483 --> 00:21:20.627
So don't be late.

00:21:20.627 --> 00:21:31.672
Like I say it in that that email as well, like please arrive five to ten minutes early because that means something else to everybody even just the flow of traffic.

00:21:31.711 --> 00:21:48.645
I'm just like you must have personnel out there directing with the cones and the lights, looking like the airport exactly there's traffic, exactly exactly so it's, it's, it's a lot dumb question do you have to get like the local police involved for like traffic out on like the street and stuff, or is it?

00:21:48.786 --> 00:21:59.603
all, oh no, because your your driveway's so long yeah, the driveway's long yep, yep, and I was just thinking because it's the, it's the two, two lanes out front, so I forgot your.

00:21:59.603 --> 00:22:01.126
The entrance coming in is great.

00:22:01.126 --> 00:22:05.703
I love coming into your club because you have people that's on the driving range smacking balls at you.

00:22:05.703 --> 00:22:06.346
It's awesome.

00:22:07.988 --> 00:22:11.173
And the trees that line the driveway are magnolias.

00:22:11.173 --> 00:22:11.755
They're beautiful.

00:22:11.755 --> 00:22:18.624
I mean cherry blossoms, and they bloom on Mother's Day, which is beautiful Another big event so they're absolutely spectacular.

00:22:18.624 --> 00:22:20.910
When you come in for Mother's Day, that's great.

00:22:21.511 --> 00:22:24.788
Yeah, Now you don't do two bunnies, do you?

00:22:24.990 --> 00:22:27.549
No, so I don't do the easter bunny.

00:22:27.549 --> 00:22:29.016
I don't like the easter bunny.

00:22:29.016 --> 00:22:32.403
He's creepy by definition.

00:22:32.403 --> 00:22:41.965
The easter bunny is creepy, so I'll do things like magic shows with bunnies yeah or um, magicians, something like that.

00:22:41.965 --> 00:22:45.540
I need some sort of activity again to pick them up and move them off their table.

00:22:45.540 --> 00:22:56.527
So we try to get creative with those things, that seems to work for the group yeah and there's always a photo booth and they love that do you any, any feedback?

00:22:56.586 --> 00:22:59.413
when now did we're how do I phrase it?

00:22:59.413 --> 00:23:03.021
Did you always not do bunnies, or was it one year?

00:23:03.021 --> 00:23:04.144
You're like, bunnies are out?

00:23:05.627 --> 00:23:08.413
it was one year, I mean, prior to me, just when I came here.

00:23:08.413 --> 00:23:11.669
I was just, you know, I wasn't just, I was the membership director.

00:23:11.729 --> 00:23:17.952
I didn't do the events yeah the clubhouse was older and smaller and they did bunnies that we have the bunny suit.

00:23:17.952 --> 00:23:26.766
We now put the bunny head in a window for halloween with a candle in it, lights up and it's staring out at people and they think it's scary because it is.

00:23:26.766 --> 00:23:37.926
But it's a really old bunny suit and, yeah, I think pretty much after covid it was like, yeah, I'm not getting in that suit yeah, mickey or nothing that's right.

00:23:38.708 --> 00:23:40.971
Um, so you're the.

00:23:40.971 --> 00:23:42.554
The club is beautiful.

00:23:42.554 --> 00:23:45.483
Nishatik is a beautiful club.

00:23:45.483 --> 00:23:50.942
You just had a gorgeous renovation and what I like is the.

00:23:50.942 --> 00:24:01.483
To me like when, when you showed me on the video and then when you're there and see them, like the details, because I was asking, like, who designed it, and you said, like not club people, which I thought was fascinating.

00:24:01.483 --> 00:24:16.023
Uh, because I just felt like some of the details it was like, oh, like this can close here and it hides that there was just like some things I've just haven't seen in like a modern club and I'm like, oh, that's such a smart idea just to be able to flip the room and just make it look different just by doing a couple right, right.

00:24:16.084 --> 00:24:17.607
So I mean we built it.

00:24:17.689 --> 00:24:19.132
There was an architect.

00:24:19.132 --> 00:24:26.871
Obviously we had a very small design group of a couple of members myself, the gm and um.

00:24:26.871 --> 00:24:31.782
We were able to shed some light on operationally what works and what doesn't.

00:24:31.782 --> 00:24:38.571
And that's important, because everybody can build something pretty, but if it doesn't work then that's not going to work for us.

00:24:38.571 --> 00:24:42.605
So we've made some modifications along the way to make it work for us.

00:24:42.605 --> 00:24:46.883
But it is pretty and it meets the needs of today's modern member.

00:24:46.883 --> 00:24:48.307
It's what the look they want.

00:24:48.307 --> 00:24:56.390
It often mimics their own personal design style in their homes, so it just feels like an extension of their home.

00:24:58.160 --> 00:24:59.826
And you did something interesting.

00:24:59.826 --> 00:25:00.823
What was it with the?

00:25:00.823 --> 00:25:03.481
It was it was the view of the kitchen, right or not.

00:25:03.481 --> 00:25:07.627
Not the view of the kitchen, but the view of the restaurant and where the members eat and hang out, Right right.

00:25:07.627 --> 00:25:09.259
So it not not the view of the kitchen, but the view of the restaurant and where the members eat and hang out.

00:25:10.020 --> 00:25:11.867
Right, right, so it overlooks the course.

00:25:13.220 --> 00:25:14.605
And the last design.

00:25:14.605 --> 00:25:16.230
It was more for the banquets.

00:25:16.960 --> 00:25:17.181
Right.

00:25:17.181 --> 00:25:23.626
So part of the building itself expanded, but in the smaller part of it that was original.

00:25:23.626 --> 00:25:41.612
Let's say it used to overlook the course and that was the event side and the sunset right there and that was the best view in the house and we were giving it away to private events and there was a small deck that I used to do sunset dinners on and I'm like why?

00:25:41.612 --> 00:25:43.961
Why is this?

00:25:43.961 --> 00:25:47.568
The event side Doesn't make sense, so we swap sides.

00:25:47.568 --> 00:25:59.551
Now the members have the beautiful view overlooking the course, 40 additional seats out front that you can watch people tee off and that whole sunroom that just overlooks the course and the driving range.

00:25:59.551 --> 00:26:03.648
It's sensational views, especially in the fall, Even the winter.

00:26:03.648 --> 00:26:04.932
The winter looks dynamite out there.

00:26:04.932 --> 00:26:05.881
It's like a sheet of glass.

00:26:06.501 --> 00:26:15.415
Yeah, and that's a cool change to do, because I think a lot of clubs would just keep it like oh, we'll leave it for the banquets or whatever.

00:26:15.415 --> 00:26:20.365
But I like that Were any members mad, like any members like oh, this is.

00:26:20.866 --> 00:26:25.704
No, no, the members were actually pleased with that change because it is the best view in the house.

00:26:25.704 --> 00:26:27.288
Pleased with that change because it is the best view in the house.

00:26:27.288 --> 00:26:40.923
And then when we built it, we were very intentional on the private event side that they have their own restrooms, their own kitchen, their own bars.

00:26:40.923 --> 00:26:51.009
So not to compound the problem in the dining room on a Saturday night for a member who's trying to have dinner and realizes the wait times are exceedingly long because there's a wedding going on and that would ruin the member experience overall.

00:26:52.211 --> 00:26:54.055
And they're never going to experience that.

00:26:58.099 --> 00:27:02.711
No, they should never experience that, because everything is separate, in addition to those additional smaller rooms we have on both sides of the building.

00:27:02.711 --> 00:27:18.738
Should there be a private event that needs a smaller room and a member wants a room, we don't want to say no to the member because we've sold it to someone else, so we have other rooms on the member side that they still have access to and the rooms get quite busy.

00:27:18.838 --> 00:27:23.523
The people book up these little rooms oh yeah, I mean it's, it's, it's it's.

00:27:23.523 --> 00:27:27.607
We'd rather just bring the group of people out.

00:27:27.607 --> 00:27:29.608
We don't have to worry about cleaning up or doing anything.

00:27:29.608 --> 00:27:30.971
Like we'll, we'll.

00:27:30.971 --> 00:27:32.892
We'll take the small room, Give us a small room.

00:27:32.992 --> 00:27:35.074
It'll feel like can you just take care of this for us?

00:27:35.074 --> 00:27:36.095
And that's what we do.

00:27:37.096 --> 00:27:37.317
Yeah.

00:27:39.039 --> 00:27:39.540
Anticipating that need.

00:27:39.540 --> 00:27:43.372
So we know that it's little Johnny's birthday and we, you know, drop the seed.

00:27:43.372 --> 00:27:44.545
Where are you having that party?

00:27:44.545 --> 00:27:48.022
Drop the seed, where are you having that party?

00:27:48.022 --> 00:27:51.153
You know you can do it here, and then they're like wait a minute, why don't we do it here?

00:27:51.153 --> 00:27:54.461
So that's how it works and we have the rooms to accommodate that.

00:27:54.461 --> 00:27:58.573
We also have a youth center that's dedicated for our youngest members.

00:27:58.573 --> 00:28:02.005
I told you we have over 325 kids under the age of 10.

00:28:02.005 --> 00:28:12.884
So we have a lot of enhancement programs that go out of there, a lot of crafts and interaction with other kids.

00:28:12.884 --> 00:28:14.392
It's like a club within a club for the kids.

00:28:14.713 --> 00:28:14.934
Yeah.

00:28:15.680 --> 00:28:16.604
So sometimes somebody.

00:28:16.604 --> 00:28:17.266
How often do you?

00:28:17.286 --> 00:28:19.403
have that open, or like what's that?

00:28:19.403 --> 00:28:20.607
Oh, that's open all the time.

00:28:20.720 --> 00:28:24.951
So if a parent wants to get a workout in, they can drop the kids off at the kids center.

00:28:24.951 --> 00:28:28.454
Workout in, they can drop the kids off at the kids center.

00:28:28.454 --> 00:28:35.885
If you want to have dinner with just your significant other and leave little Johnny downstairs, you can do that and then you finish and little Johnny wants to hang out with Charlie.

00:28:35.885 --> 00:28:37.089
So it all works.

00:28:37.089 --> 00:28:54.214
I mean, next week we have friends giving, so I do a big friends giving that takes over the whole a la carte side, and then I do kids friendsgiving at the same time so they're able to drop off their kids at the kids friendsgiving.

00:28:54.214 --> 00:29:03.424
They're socializing at their friendsgiving and then they all finish at the same time that's everybody together but separate yeah, now, that's.

00:29:04.587 --> 00:29:05.128
That's pretty cool.

00:29:05.128 --> 00:29:05.528
Do guys have?

00:29:05.528 --> 00:29:07.953
Do you guys do like summer camps and stuff like that?

00:29:09.303 --> 00:29:11.931
Summer camp is about seven weeks in the summer.

00:29:11.931 --> 00:29:21.770
They get instruction on each discipline golf, tennis, swim and then in the afternoon we do some bonus classes.

00:29:21.770 --> 00:29:23.125
This year we did archery.

00:29:23.125 --> 00:29:30.394
We own Atlanta across the street that we mowed down and do archery instruction, which was dynamite oh, that's cool.

00:29:30.394 --> 00:29:35.790
Yeah, and they've done all kinds of things A lot of yoga classes.

00:29:35.790 --> 00:29:36.612
They love that.

00:29:36.612 --> 00:29:38.404
Then they theme out the weeks.

00:29:38.404 --> 00:29:46.413
We'll do a survivor week and the kids are running around doing scavenger hunts and it's really fun Deflating volleyballs and.

00:29:47.300 --> 00:29:49.047
Yeah, they walk around with torches.

00:29:49.047 --> 00:29:50.310
The tribe is spoken.

00:29:53.382 --> 00:29:54.707
Kids are pawning snacks.

00:29:56.800 --> 00:29:58.468
Who's got the immunity idol?

00:30:00.403 --> 00:30:03.392
You guys are hiding like gushers and stuff in the bushes.

00:30:03.392 --> 00:30:05.953
Kids are like I got up yeah.

00:30:06.579 --> 00:30:13.689
You know, and they'll go around and apparently they've taken pictures of Chris and I and then they make like a puzzle out of it.

00:30:13.689 --> 00:30:15.724
They'll tear it up and that's part of the thing.

00:30:15.724 --> 00:30:22.246
They have to solve the puzzle and it's a picture of us and it's like it's Saturday, Chris, they're putting it together.

00:30:23.150 --> 00:30:23.973
That's funny.

00:30:23.973 --> 00:30:25.119
That's funny.

00:30:25.119 --> 00:30:29.942
Now, what falls under your jurisdiction, what follows under your jurisdiction?

00:30:29.942 --> 00:30:30.163
What?

00:30:30.163 --> 00:30:30.284
What?

00:30:30.284 --> 00:30:31.507
Funders of funders, what?

00:30:31.507 --> 00:30:34.422
What follows under your reign?

00:30:34.422 --> 00:30:38.053
Cause your your membership, and then you have chief of staff on your name also.

00:30:38.053 --> 00:30:39.461
So do you do like what?

00:30:39.461 --> 00:30:40.804
What don't you do?

00:30:43.729 --> 00:30:46.252
I don't teach racket sports, although I was asked to.

00:30:46.252 --> 00:30:49.623
Um, what don't I do?

00:30:49.623 --> 00:30:54.131
So, chief of staff, people often ask me about that title.

00:30:54.131 --> 00:30:56.015
Um, it is not.

00:30:56.015 --> 00:30:58.403
I overlook all the staff.

00:30:58.403 --> 00:31:04.454
It's more to be aligned with a political type of role.

00:31:04.579 --> 00:31:10.108
Chief of staff, so I am what they call the trusted advisor of the board and the GM.

00:31:10.108 --> 00:31:18.366
Somebody said I was his consigliere, call it what you will, but I sit on the board.

00:31:18.366 --> 00:31:19.490
I sit on all committees.

00:31:19.490 --> 00:31:33.480
I am that person that manages the strategic plan for the club and make sure it's executed in some ways and always really, and because that impacts the membership experience.

00:31:33.480 --> 00:31:51.170
So, yes, I recruit, retain, make sure the experience is right for all members, but I send every communication from the club it goes through me, so the branding and the messages in line with what we want to say, and then I have this chief of staff role.

00:31:51.519 --> 00:32:09.148
So it's at one point I was overseeing all the food and beverage as well, but I've stepped back a little bit from that Um trying because we're about to, you know, do some more projects here that require me to be in another area and, um, and that's where that chief of staff role comes, because there's a lot.

00:32:09.148 --> 00:32:20.505
So we're doing a pool project and you know I'm looking at, you know pool decking materials and you know, and hang on, I got a tour and then I go do a tour.

00:32:21.268 --> 00:32:21.528
Yeah.

00:32:22.119 --> 00:32:30.186
There's a lot of things, like Sandra, the towels are out in the locker room, I'll get a text and so I just deal with it, but it's an interesting role.

00:32:30.186 --> 00:32:31.270
Every day is different.

00:32:31.270 --> 00:32:33.522
It's never what you expect when you come in.

00:32:33.522 --> 00:32:34.465
How about that?

00:32:34.465 --> 00:32:37.662
I think I'm going to do this today and I do everything else but that.

00:32:38.463 --> 00:32:42.613
It helps our or at least that would help my like ADD mind.

00:32:42.613 --> 00:32:44.982
Like it helps.

00:32:46.365 --> 00:32:51.839
So I think part of that is that we go back to what you said, like what skills did I bring it?

00:32:51.839 --> 00:33:13.710
Is that organizational skill that I can look at that big picture, whatever it may be that day, and say this is what we're doing, this is all we can do, and it just sort of for people who can't see through it, I sort of lead the way like this is how we can get there and strategically, what, what aligns with what our needs are and our mission is.

00:33:13.710 --> 00:33:17.067
From the board, they'll set the directive and the tone.

00:33:20.603 --> 00:33:21.483
A lot of ownership.

00:33:22.625 --> 00:33:23.347
Very much so.

00:33:24.670 --> 00:33:25.412
But I wanted it.

00:33:25.972 --> 00:33:26.794
I mean, I wanted it.

00:33:26.794 --> 00:33:30.799
I said this is what I wanted.

00:33:30.799 --> 00:33:37.090
I knew I could do more, even part of the conversation when you were getting hired, like, like.

00:33:37.131 --> 00:33:38.442
Was this no it?

00:33:38.481 --> 00:33:47.229
came after it evolved through the change in management as well as the club being redone.

00:33:47.229 --> 00:33:51.151
There was a big change in once they voted for the renovation.

00:33:51.151 --> 00:33:54.383
They wanted some change at the higher end leadership.

00:33:54.383 --> 00:33:55.965
They made those changes.

00:33:55.965 --> 00:34:03.751
Chris and I were the last couple standing and we said, all right, let's go, we're in it and sort of said we can do this.

00:34:03.751 --> 00:34:06.824
And we've kind of just done it.

00:34:06.824 --> 00:34:13.376
And right through COVID you know, we opened right in the middle of COVID, august of 2020.

00:34:13.376 --> 00:34:18.349
And I mean it was great and innovative and you just learn to solve problems and think on your feet.

00:34:20.061 --> 00:34:27.688
What's best is, the club probably never felt cleaner because it was brand new, so probably no other better place to be than this brand new building.

00:34:28.228 --> 00:34:35.409
Precisely, and people love that the high ceilings, a lot of open spaces or really small rooms for individual dining.

00:34:35.409 --> 00:34:36.371
It was perfect.

00:34:37.052 --> 00:34:38.034
Yeah, it was perfect.

00:34:38.159 --> 00:34:40.748
It aligned exactly with what we needed at the right time.

00:34:40.980 --> 00:34:46.023
We are going to wrap this up, but we're going to do a part two Part two, part deux.

00:34:46.023 --> 00:34:47.286
Part deux.

00:34:47.286 --> 00:34:48.226
Un deux trois.

00:34:48.226 --> 00:34:52.690
Part deux Canadian, un deux trois Canadian.

00:34:52.690 --> 00:35:07.610
But no, I want to do a part two, going into more of your chief of staff role, being involved in so many committees and things, and then also your CRMs and your processes, things that we talked about for the PCMA event.

00:35:07.610 --> 00:35:08.032
That we did.

00:35:08.032 --> 00:35:10.724
But no, thank you.

00:35:10.724 --> 00:35:14.682
Thank you so much for coming on and look forward for part two.

00:35:14.722 --> 00:35:17.911
when that's going to happen, I'll find a link on your schedule.

00:35:18.820 --> 00:35:20.065
I'll send you a calendar link.

00:35:20.065 --> 00:35:21.048
You got it.

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Hope you all enjoyed that episode.

00:35:23.284 --> 00:35:24.266
I know I did.

00:35:24.266 --> 00:35:25.949
Wow, cannot wait.

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We're going to do another one just on her systems and her working with HubSpot and the amazingness that she does with that platform and program that helps her achieve tremendous results with her club.

00:35:39.117 --> 00:35:41.545
If you're enjoying the content, a like share.

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Subscribe means the world Costs nothing.

00:35:44.311 --> 00:35:47.568
A five-star rating with a review oh, even better.

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That's this episode.

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I'm your host, danny Corby.

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Until next time, catch y'all on the flippity.