The "How we do small things" Podcast

What was it like the first season back in the clubhouse? That's the discussion on the table in this episode with Scott, Chef Jay and Joe. Yes....We made it. Season started in July with members over the top excited to get back into the club and experience what they've waited two years for - an extra long year but overall it was incredibly successful. Members were patient - nearly everything was well supported and the team was able to pivot as the activity grew and we figured out how the club and the new spaces were being utilized. We shared some insider details and "things we'd recommend" if you're about to open a new facility...Buckle up and tune in for this one...and of course, we finish up with with a small thing that made a big impact.

Three questions...1. How has marketing and communications changed in 40 years?2. How has communications at Countryside changed in 20 years?3. How do you continue growing  a 20 year solid foundation of communications?Mary Groesser, Countryside's Director of Communication for the past 20 years reflects on you her 40 year career in the marketing, advertising and graphic design industry - you won't believe how far things have come in a relatively short time. Ironic how Mary is finishing up her career the same year Countryside is celebrating its 40th anniversary. Half of her career was spent at Countryside growing our communications department into what it is today - best in class! How do we plan to keep it best in class?? Sarah Nadal....Our new Director of Communications. Hand selected by Mary for her unique background, eye for detail and incredible perspective in how she is able to see what needs to be communicated and understood from the Member's perspective. She's got big shoes to fill but is more than up to the challenge and already taking things to the next level. This is a cool episode not only because of these two ladies being powerhouses in the communication field, but also because it's not often you're able to sit down with a long term retiring team member and the incoming team member to discuss their areas of expertise and how the "torch is being passed"...Enjoy this one - tons of wisdom and remember...."How we do small things is how we do ALL things"..

Another busy month. Another month of record golf rounds. We chat all things golf with our golf ops leadership. We're finishing up our first season back in the club and as expected activity was an all time high. The team discusses the ingredients that led to a successful year and high member satisfaction. We also discuss culture, expectations and how empowerment means the most in tough situations....and of course, we share some small stuff...

In this episode we talk about all kinds of stuff....We recap February, the shortest / longest month of the year. We share some very impressive, almost unbelievable stats...listen closely to learn how many range balls get hit at Countryside...It's alot of balls....And our historical averages across all departments have been shattered...The team is setting records everyday and doing it with pride and grace. Overall we discuss all kinds of topics as is usual in our monthly recaps...Like, subscribed, share and enjoy!

Melissa Hansen is the Director of Marketing and Membership at the Olde Cypress in Napes, FL. Throughout her 15+ career in the South Florida Club scene she's become the expert and trendsetter in all things that make joining a club a special experience. She knows how to turn first impressions into life-long members and keep those members deeply engaged and connected in the club. We talk about all things membership and marketing related - she shares some WOW stories, discusses how to use social media to better understand your member's lives away from the club, branding and a recent club visit that really impressed her and why it's important to have your marketing "tool box". We also dip into AI do's and dont's and why you should be embracing it for efficiency and creativity. And of course, it wouldn't be an episode of "How we do small things" if our guest doesn't share a small thing that made a big impact. Enjoy this one, it's full of good stuff.

This one is for all of our F&B peers in the business and for club members (and really anyone who visits restaurants) this time of year in south Florida...To our peers - you are not alone! We are all knee deep in the toughest part of the season...but it's also the most rewarding part. February is often referred to the longest - shortest month. Covers are off the charts, team members are getting tired and members all over south Florida are enjoying the experiences we all strive to provide no matter how chaotic it seems.We talk about all kinds of things in this episode from reservations and walkins to what happens when 200 people show up for dinner at the same time...and of course we share some really cool small things that made BIG impacts. Enjoy!

Kelly Grabowsky brings a unique perspective as the new Managing Director for the Florida Chapter CMAA. As a Johnson and Wales Culinary graduate, her career has led her through some unique transitions that have given her a different perspective on the club industry. From Executive Chef to General Manager and now Managing Director. She's a leader who understands our industry from various roles and has always led from a place of empathy, compassion and clarity. She's a heart led leader who has big has a BIG vision for our chapter. This is episode was a treat and it's full of inspiration and excitement as Kelly shares some insights to what our chapter is focused on and how your involvement directly translates to the member experience at your club. 

What does the hospitality have in common with high school athletics? Quite a bit. Especially leadership and the responsibility that comes along with it. Billy Sparacio is the founder of True Victory Consulting and the former Athletic Director of First Baptist Academy where he took a non-existent athletic program and built it into something truly special, changing lives along the way to a state football championship in 2022. Over his 3+ decades of coaching athletics he's gained the leadership experience that changes and develops individuals, teams, and businesses beyond what they think they are capable of. True Victory Consulting aims to do just that, leading others to reach their full potential.Billy shares leadership concepts from the athletic world, that all apply in the business world and the correlation to the club and hospitality industry is eye opening. During this powerful 90 minutes we talk about:The concept of "Both-And" The importance of gratitude and leading with loveDefining YOUR version of success Building trust as you cast your leadership visionHow wins come and go and how your leadership is developing others and your team beyond the game...(or the special event) Instilling a sense of value in others and how leadership is helping everyone see the bigger picture of what they're apart ofHow do you lead through seasonality i.e. the football season and what we refer to in the club business as "peak season"This episode was truly a treat and if you're looking for some inspiration personally or for your team - reach out to Billy and True Victory Consulting. He works with groups and businesses of all types. Whether it's on the football field or in the clubhouse, a Team is simply a group of people working together to achieve a common goal to the best of their ability. Leadership is the vision and the glue and Billy is one of the best.https://www.truevictoryconsulting.com/

2025 was awesome! And 2026 sounds like it's going to be even more awesome. In this episode, we start off talking about Fer's big news, Scott's love of hazelnuts and whether or not we set New Year's resolutions... Later in the segment, we shift gears to talk about setting expectations being willing to adjust, staying fluid with life and learning from past challenges.As usual we share some very impactful small things....special food service, vodka, a sock crisis and diamonds....And Mike sums it all up best with the motto of the year...."Shift your thinking from me to us"....As usual - this one is full of some laughs and good conversation....

This episode was a treat! JD Varon, CGCS has been the Superintendent at Countryside for 26 years! He's an expert in his field and has provided our Members with incredible playing conditions for nearly 3 decades. In 2019 he led a $5.5m complete course renovation. Todd Lowe began consulting with Countryside in 2024, primarily to provide further expertise advice on our agronomical practices. Todd's input led to much needed extended summer closings for more aggressive maintenance of our greens - something that has never been implemented in Countryside's 40 year history. A Florida native and the son of a golf course superintendent, Todd Lowe has dedicated his career to turfgrass management. From working on golf courses at the age of 14 to earning degrees in Environmental Horticulture (University of Florida) and Horticulture Sciences (Clemson University), Todd’s expertise is deeply rooted in both experience and education.For nearly two decades, he served as a USGA agronomist, consulting on golf course maintenance, authoring industry articles, and speaking at superintendent associations worldwide. He also played a pivotal role as the lead agronomist for several USGA and IGF championships. From 2018 to 2024, Todd brought his knowledge to Bayer Environmental Sciences (later Envu) as a technical service manager, assisting turf managers, developing pest management programs, and overseeing research for innovative turf solutions.In 2024, Todd acquired PhD Laboratory to further research soil physical properties on golf course greens. With cutting-edge Rootzone Performance Metrics (RPM), he helps courses optimize cultivation strategies, ensuring peak playability and turf health. His extensive experience, from agronomy to laboratory diagnostics, makes him a trusted authority in the field.

If you're interested in club tech, marketing and anything that is "member facing" Sean and Taylor are your guys. Sean works for MembersFirst as the Client Development Exec.. MembersFirst helps hundreds of member-based organizations attract, engage and retain a vibrant and actively involved membership. We deliver the industry's premier end-to-end technology solution by combining expert website design, development and consultancy services with a complete set of tools to power content management, email marketing, social networking, search engine services, mobile marketing, reservations and club management.Taylor is the Director of Client Management for TTA / Jonas. Jonas Club Software is a partner of ours at Countryside and the industry leading provider for technology solutions in the club space such as POS, accounting, booking modules, event management and so on. Bot of these guys have club backgrounds and we had some cool discussion on what's trending in the tech space and what clubs should be thinking about into the future.  Enjoy this one...it's fun.

We try and script most of our episodes and though this one might not seem like, we did have a rough outline...We discuss some of our favorite memories from 2025 and go deep down the rabbit hole of our favorite Christmas movies and non-Christmas Christmas movies. Which begs the question, Is Die Hard a Christmas movie???? There's probably some talk about holiday traditions also...As usual there's lots of laughs, lots of fun, some meaningful discussion and cool "small things"...

Joe Basso is not only the GM / COO at our neighboring community, Naples Lakes Golf & Country Club, he's also one of only 26 General Managers in the Country to hold the very prestigious MCM certification - often referred to as the "doctorate" in Club Management. Joe has had an impressive career in which he led clubs in Missouri, Michigan, Del-Ray Beach before taking the helm at Naples Lakes. Our very own Director of Golf, worked under Joe for nearly a decade at Birmingham Country Club. It was a honor to share some time with Joe and discuss all things club wise and most things "south Naples wise"...He also shares some intriguing "small things that made big impacts"

How do you pull off a 600+ member Grand Re-Opening that is arguably the most important event in our club's history??? You plan it for 2 years.....and have leaders like Chef Jay, Scott Ortiz and many others involved...In this episode we debrief the Grand Re-Opening, discuss some upcoming events, talk a little bit about leadership, get an update on Chef's recovery and or course.......we share some small things that made big impacts!!!

This one is full of laughs and conversation on all things November....Mike and Joe welcome two first timers to the show, Joe Herbstrieth, our Director of Golf, and Andy Meunier, our F&B Manager. We've got some great "small thing" examples at the end of the show and some deep discussion on how to graduate from the kid's table....Enjoy!

What an absolute honor to sit with Phil Newman of RSM to discuss all things club related and some things not. Phil has been a staple in our industry for nearly 4 decades and has been focused in the Naples/South Florida market for 20 years. Countryside was one of Phil's first clubs when we relocated to this area in 2006 and we've been a client ever since. Aside from his focus on club auditing, Phil serves as an industry expert and best practices related to club financial accounting, balance sheet growth, member equity and market comps. Perhaps most importantly, Phil is often the "first call" when myself or my peers need some expert advice with anything club related but especially finance related. Phil and his wife Tammy, both partners in RSM, have recently announced their retirement to come in April of 2026 - so this episode is extra special as they both have been stable lighthouses for our industry. Enjoy and CONGRATS Phil and Tammy!

What's your favorite Halloween candy? What's your favorite halloween costume? More importantly what's your LEAST favorite candy? In this episode the team explores Chef Jay's odd preference in candy meaning he prefers the candy that (we believe) a majority of people dislike the most. We also chat about our upcoming 7th annual pumpkin carving contest which has become a staple employee & member engagement event.As always, this episode is full of tons of laughs and several "rabbit hole" conversations. Hang in there until the end for our usual "small thing" examples.

We're super excited to chat with Tim Jones, General Manager / COO and Joe Foster, Assistant General Manager of Stonebridge Golf & Country Club. This is our first episode featuring some industry peers giving a little peak behind the club management curtain....Tim has led Stonebridge for over 20 years and has taken the community through more than one renovation. Joe has held leadership positions at a number of clubs in the area prior to Stonebridge such as Mediterra, Colonial and Country Club of Naples. Countryside spent a considerable amount of time with the team at  Stonebridge when planning and strategizing our clubhouse renovation. If you're a GM, Board Member or Member at a club talking about or beginning a renovation, this is the episode for you...We share real, recent experience and some initiatives and best practices to stay ahead of surprises and communicate through the progress.  And of course....we all get a chance to share a "small thing, that made a big impact"!

We've got Maria on the show - one of our long tenured AMAZING team members and Joe chats with Marci Foster, a Countryside Member and Board Member who has done so much for our community. We talk about what we're looking forward to most this season, some sneak peaks into upcoming events and of course....we share some small things that made BIG impacts. Enjoy!

This one was so much fun! After some technical difficulties and few sips of Cuban coffee, we get right into our Friday Fresh Fish specials, what's to come on the new wine list, the best social media posts and we share how we all got started in the business. Not to mention, we talk about some industry jargon and recap our first shotgun in 2 years with some on the spot commentary by Mike Badder and the ladies who played in the CCWGA tournament. This episode is jam packed with information, fun facts, exciting things to come and of course, a ton of laughs!What small thing have you seen, experienced or done recently that made a big impact on someone or something?

Chef Jay, Scott and Joe discuss how the focus on "small things" started and how one small thing....led to a big thing several years later. This is a fun conversation. What small thing did you see, experience or do recently that made a big impact??Want more to the story? Joe published this article below in 2021 which elaborates on the importance of the small things.https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/2021-year-small-things-joe-smith/?trackingId=onyX%2FkYbQZik2RpjbenrJQ%3D%3D

Scott, Fer, Mike and Joe talk a little bit about what this podcast thing is all about........