The "How we do small things" Podcast

Episodes

• Episode 23 - Thoughts on the National Restaurant Show.... 01.06.2026 46m

  2.5 million square feet of convention space....to say the National Restaurant Show was overwhelming is an understatement. But we're glad we had the opportunity to attend. We had some quality time discussing pizza, sampling new food and products and brainstorming what's possible in the future...
• Episode 22 - We "Mayde" it!!! 04.05.2026 49m

  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 a...
• Episode 21 - 40 Years of Marketing and Communications 02.05.2026 1h 6m

  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 ...
• Episode 20 - March Madness in Golf Operations 13.04.2026 1h 15m

  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...
• Episode 19 - February 2026 Recap with Scott, Jay, Mike & Joe 11.03.2026 1h 5m

  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... Lik...
• Episode 18 - Membership Marketing w/ Melissa Hansen 26.02.2026 44m

  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 s...
• Episode 17 - January recap & Food and Beverage Insanity 03.02.2026 1h 9m

  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 ...
• Episode 16 - All things FLCMAA with Kelly Grabowsky 27.01.2026 1h 1m

  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 b...
• Episode 15 - Leadership Truths w/ Billy Sparacio of True Victory Consulting 18.01.2026 1h 40m

  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 ...
• Episode 14 - Happy 2026 from the CS Team - it's the year of fluidity! 09.01.2026 1h 5m

  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 ...
• Episode 13 - Turf Talk with Todd Lowe & JD Varon 24.12.2025 54m

  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 - ...
• Episode 12 - Club Tech Talk with Sean Bleyl & Taylor Lochte 15.12.2025 1h 25m

  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 mana...
• Episode 11.....2025 - A year in review and a Christmas debate.... 01.12.2025 1h 35m

  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"...
• Episode 10 - Joe Basso, General Manager at Naples Lakes 24.11.2025 57m

  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.&nbs...
• Episode 9....Recap of the Grand Re-Opening and a chat with Chef Jay!!! 18.11.2025 50m

  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!!!
• Episode 8 - Kid's tables & unique Thanksgiving dishes.... 03.11.2025 1h 12m

  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!
• Episode 7 - A look back at 36 years of club audits with Phil Newman 28.10.2025 1h 2m

  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 sh...
• Episode 6 - Halloween fun!!! 13.10.2025 1h 12m

  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...
• Renovation War Stories with Tim Jones, Joe Foster and Joe Smith 06.10.2025 1h 17m

  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 Cl...
• Episode 4 - Two AWESOME special guests and some meaningful "small things" 01.10.2025 1h 20m

  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!