499: Connecting The Dots w/ Sean Bleyl

Welcome And Quick Announcements

Denny Corby 0:00

Welcome to the Private Club Radio Show, the show where you get the scoop on life inside private golf and country clubs. I'm your host, Danny Corby, and each episode is a real conversation with club leaders, the pros, the people and partners who help clubs thrive. We talk leadership, culture, food and beverage, member experiences, member engagement, marketing, governance, and so much more. If you want practical ideas, better teams in a club experience, members actually feel and talk about. You are in the right place now. Welcome to the show. In this episode, I am chatting with one of my favorite humans in the entire world, Sean Bleyl from over at Members 1st, and we are diving into a couple of different topics today If you don't know who Sean Bleyl is, he's one of the coolest people in the club space. He's a former club pro of, like, 15 years who then transitioned to membersfirst, where now he helps clubs with their marketing, communications, and all of that fun stuff and really helps clubs really dial in and showcase their digital presence Which is very hard to do We're talking about communications. We're talking about renovations. When to start your conversations about how you're going to enhance your digital presence when you're doing your physical presence. Because so many clubs, they do, you know, 5, 10, 15, 20-plus million dollar renovations, but their website looks like it's still from like the early 2000s or like y- it just, it, it's so mismatched. And what happens is usually towards the end of the renovation or once the renovation's done, they go, "Oh, we're gonna need a new website and some pictures. We should do that soon." It's like, "Hey, that takes, that takes some time." And that's becoming more of a common thing, so we were talking about that. Sean did a great panel that kinda was about that as well as just general communications. We touch on that He and I are both gonna be at Florida Conference, Florida Summer Conference, which as of listening, as this is airing, it'll be today, Monday it starts. So I will be here in Florida And me and Sean are big people p- p- people persons, people persons, paper people. No, and, and, uh, we were, and we just talk about connections, right? Connecting on all different levels, especially when it comes to conferences and education. He and I are both gonna be at the Florida Summer Conference. Uh, this will air as the Florida conference starts, and I will be there emceeing, hosting, speaking, performing, and having a great time with the whole gang And real quick before we get to the episode, I just gotta hashtag shameless plug it up. If you or your club is looking for one of the most fun member event nights, you have the Denny Corby experience. There's excitement, there's mystery, also there's magic, mind reading, and comedy. A ton of laughs, gasps, and holy craps. To learn more, head on over to DennyCorby.com. Well over 300 clubs performed for. Go see all the testimonials, the, the reviews. Have a couple more fall dates looking to fill, so if you wanna look the fall, the winter, more importantly into 2027, let's have that conversation And as we're talking about education here in the episode a little bit, if you are looking for a really cool, really fun experiential educational event, have you heard about my Management in Motion? This is a really cool day-and-a-half event. Really, it's one day, but we kinda hang out for a day and a half. Uh, it's like the evening, uh, the night before, and then the all day the day of. But it's a day of adrenaline, fun, and education, and connection. It is amazing. Management in Motion, it's at the Monticello Motor Club hosted by me, Denny Corby, and Private Club Radio, still also me. But, uh, it's where I bring in club leaders from all across the country, and we rip up BMWs, M2s, 3s, and 4s. We do drifting, drag racing, high-speed laps, lead follows. There's go-kart. It's so much fun. But what's even more fun is the people who I come-- who I have come do the education. So it's other club professionals. It's, it's people just like you doing the education, but those who have some motion in their leadership. So the first year, last year, I had Luann Giovanelli and Joe Smith. Joe's from a countryside golf and country club. Luann's from Bay Colony. Both of them had extensive car and racing knowledge, so I wanted them to talk about how that related to how they lead. This year, I'm super stoked. We have Alfredo Hildebrandt from Lakewood Country Club in Ohio and Ed Ronan from Bretton Woods in Maryland. Two amazing people. Two phenomenal, phenomenal people who have different motions, and they're gonna talk about how their motions relate to how they lead. And it's just g- it's just a really great day, and what I like is it's not professional speakers, right? It's just ed- it's just our own people talking to us about how they use their motions and their different activities, and how that comes back to how they lead, how they run the club, how they bring that to their culture and h- and just, it just keeps going. If you wanna learn more, I talked about it for way too much, head on over to DennyCorby.com as well, and you can ch- see all the fun stuff, uh, that I do for the clubs as well as Management in Motion. It's a two for one. Um, and if you're really bored, you could find me on LinkedIn too. But enough about all of that. Too many shameless plugs.

Sean’s Club Background And Perspective

Denny Corby 4:58

Private Club Radio listeners, please welcome to the show one of my favorite humans in the entire world, Sean Bleyl. You've been out of the industry now 15 years-ish?

Sean Bleyl 5:07

Yeah, going on 15 years.

Denny Corby 5:09

So it's like, okay, looking back, what's ch- like, 'cause it, it's, it's, it's You do have a unique perspective, like you're still in the industry. 'Cause you know, former clubhouse manager G- you know, all like, you know, operations G, that sort of stuff, and then to this. Like that, that gives you a nique- a unique perspective on things.

Sean Bleyl 5:26

I don't think, I don't think I could be as successful as I am today, or actually our team couldn't be as successful with the projects if they hadn't lived the life of a manager before. Um, it's great to have the tech experience, it's great to have the marketing communications experience, but understanding how Understanding how your customers are actually gonna use your products helps out a ton. And actually, there was a funny, um, small world story that actually happened this week. And I was introduced to a club down in Florida, and the director of golf/general manager at this club had a very unique last name. And I was racking my brain. I'm like, "I know that name, but where do I know that name from?" Turns out I worked with his sister at Willow Bend Country Club up on Cape Cod way back in when I first got into the industry in, like, 2003. Um, and it just brought back so many different memories. You know, you know, what was Sean Bleyle doing back in 2003? Um, and I'm trying to think. Raisin' it up. It was just, like, one of those things where when I first started in clubs, my goal was really to get as much experience as possible. And Willow Bend at the time did not have any, like, internship programs, and they had me-- My first, my first job was actually to, like, manage the pool operation. Um, but outside of managing the pool operation, there was also a food and beverage component, then there was a junior camp component. We would do, like, fishing derbies, and then I would kind of bartend and moonlight at the weddings. And, you know, I'm so grateful for all that experience. Like, you know, for somebody just getting into the industry, not being pigeonholed into, like, one department, um, will help you so much more, not because you figure out what you like, but figure out what you don't like. Um, you know, because they- Key. Key used to do, they used to do these, like, kinda these, like, two-month sprints where, you know, you'd manage the pool, then you'd manage the dining room. Um, one of my favorite things was actually the housekeeping department, um, because we had-- I think at the time they had, like- Mints.

Denny Corby 7:36

Andy's

Sean Bleyl 7:37

mints they had, like-- Yeah, exactly. No, changing light bulbs. Um, I was almost electrocuted one time Um, so the light bulb blew up in my hand, and- That's

Denny Corby 7:48

not funny

Sean Bleyl 7:50

It, it wasn't funny 'cause it was really scary because I was kind of on a ladder, and it like, you know how... I don't know what it was, but the light bulb, like, popped, and it scared the hell out of me. Um, but you know, the things that I learned about the housekeeping department, um, at Willow Bend was, one, make sure that everything's prepared, right? Because we've all had these horror stories, you included, you know, when you go to a hotel. Um, you just wanna make sure that when somebody is staying away from home, that it is super comfortable for them. Yeah. Um, 'cause it starts the whole experience. And, uh, fast-forward from that experience, like, I think it was almost like six or seven years later, I was helping manage... I was one of the assistant managers at the PomPano Beach Club in Bermuda, so it was all hotel-driven. There was no golf. There was no sports, even though it was located next to a golf course. And-

Denny Corby 8:39

You know,

Sean Bleyl 8:40

I understood what the housekeeping department was going through, which helped me, you know, connect so well with that, that industry. And I think the same thing about what I'm doing today too, is that the-- I'm talking to so many different departments. It could be the director of human resources who's looking to- Yeah employ employees. It could be a golf professional. It could be, you know, a, you know, the chairperson of the membership committee. You know, having a good understanding as to the operations is, is very helpful in my discussions. But I've always joked around with a buddy of mine, um, that, you know, our experience in the industry is there is a little bit of an expiration date, right? If I've been out of the industry for 15 years on the operations side of it, think about this, like 15 years ago, there was no mobile apps that clubs were using. There was, you know, online reservations were, you know, probably just starting to be a thing. So I've always said that my club experience has an expiration date, which is why when I go to these CMAA education experiences, like the Florida CMA event that we're, that we're going to this week, it's, it's really important for me to sit through the education because that's how I keep my operational experience fresh, um, to understand what a club manager's going through.

Why Conferences Work In The Hallways

Denny Corby 9:59

Well, and I was, I was just chatting with Kelly, you know, we were finalizing stuff 'cause shameless plug, gonna be MC-ing the Florida Summer Conference, June and August. So if you don't like me, buckle up. Um, no, but we, we were talking, and I told her, I was like, "I really like that you allow the vendors to come and participate in the education." And we were just chat- And 'cause a-- there's other conferences that, that allow this too, but a lot of pe- a lot of the vendors don't do that. They d- like they're just-- Or, or at least be in the room. Like I, I understand, like you're, you know, you, you have other duties, you know, emails, whatever calls you can take those, but like be in the room, like at least be absorbing or somewhat listening. Maybe, you know, like, you know, you're not 100% all in, maybe you're 80, 50 per- it doesn't matter. At least you're there. But more importantly, like, and I was like, "Kelly, you're giving the vendors and partners a, a tremendous advantage," 'cause like that's the ultimate connection. It when-- 'Cause now, like later on at the, at the, the, at the expo and the, and the other stuff, or in the, in the networking things, it's, it's not all like it's-- you have something to relate to. Like it's, it's-- You can go, "Oh my, yo, wasn't that session good?" "No." "Oh, how come you didn't like it?" "Oh, I thought his thing..." Like it, it's a conversation. Like it gives you something to relate to besides like, "Buy my shit." Like it's not like- Well, I- "Buy my product. Here's what I have." It's like, "Yo, you were at the session. That wa- that was awesome. Wasn't that great?" Or like, "Oh, I didn't really like that guy. Did you?" "Oh, how come?" Like, I don't-- It just creates I, I totally,

Sean Bleyl 11:25

totally agree with you, and I think that those, the events, the events like that that the CMA puts on or the Membership Directors Association or PCMA or NCA, whatever group it is, you know, yes, there is a focus on educating the attendees, but it's really-- I think those events are really about kind of building community, um, and kind of those shared experiences. And even, yes, everybody has something to sell, right? Like, you know, whether it's a product or maybe, hey, you're there, like, recruiting for staff members for an upcoming position at your club. Like, everybody is, is there for the education, but they're also there for other reasons as well. And if you're not in the room, I just think you're missing out on so much. Um, but I also, you know, not only for partners to be in the room, and I really like it when, um, when some of the organizations actually kind of save a table on the side or they save something so that we don't feel like, hey, we're not welcome. Um, the majority of associations now kind of make sure that we have a space there too, and they understand that we want to learn what club managers are going through. But I think it's a shame when people aren't in the room, um, because what else are they doing? And, you know, you're not a part of that event. You can't, you can't share those stories. Like, what happens if the speaker fell off the stage and all of a sudden the ambulance had to come in and you were like, "I, I kind of, I kind of missed that." Or, you know, there's a really funny joke- Yeah that everybody else is, like, relating to. Um, you're, you're just not part of the group, and I've always wanted to make sure that our team is part of the group because you kind of make the, you make the best connections sometimes over a meal, right? It could be-

Denny Corby 13:08

Oh

Sean Bleyl 13:09

you know, lunch-

Denny Corby 13:10

You- or breakfast the best

Sean Bleyl 13:10

connection.

Denny Corby 13:11

You, you go for the education, all that, but the, the real, the real juice is in the hallways.

Sean Bleyl 13:17

Mm-hmm.

Denny Corby 13:17

Like, the real juice is in between the sessions. It's on the bus going to the, to the a- you know, to the dinners and the things. It's in the Ubers, it's in the walks, it's in, like, that stuff.

Sean Bleyl 13:28

Well, actually, you know, and I've seen this with you at certain events, 'cause whenever you're at events, you are, you're always in the room, right? Whether, whether you're presenting, whether you're doing kind of your walk-around, uh, show, but you're there for every education. And- The, the thing that I've seen from great speakers are they build off the other presentations. So like if you're just flying in to do your one-hour thing and you're not a part of the, the event, um, I think you're missing out on like connecting with the audience. We had somebody-- actually it was a former Ol- uh, Olympian, uh, this guy Jeremiah Brown, which you definitely have to meet. He did some professional development with us, uh, for our entire kind of sales and marketing team at Members First and Jonas earlier this year at the PGA Show. And it was interesting because I, I know all the people on our team, but there was this one random dude in all the education that we hadn't been introduced to. Um, and he sat through every single one of our team education pieces. And when he got up to present He knew something about almost everybody in the audience. Like, his presentation landed so much better than others because he was completely committed. If he was gonna be there for a day, day and a half, why not be there for the day, day and a half? So I just really appreciate that when I see, um, when I see speakers or if I see people like you who are kind of like, you know, emceeing the whole event or pres- potentially presenting. You're so engaged in the community, and you kind of, you build off of that. Um-

Denny Corby 15:07

Yeah.

Sean Bleyl 15:07

Well, I mean, but- And you're part of the event. You're not just, you know, somebody

Denny Corby 15:10

talking. It shows you were listening. It shows you were there, and, and, and that's what it's all about, is connecting the dots, which is funny because that was your panel that you did a few weeks ago for the MDASF. Uh, and I think almost all of our conversations, 'cause we talk more than we would like to admit, but we- Like, a lot of, like, a lot of the things is just, like, putting those pieces together. Like, and not just in this, but like, you know, whenever we have our grumpy old man moments and, like, we, you know, com- you know, talk about things, it's like, it's y- and, like, looking back, it's because people don't connect the dots. It's, you know, it's like those, like, little things. Like, it's just think maybe one more step or just, like, I don't know, try to connect one more.

Renovations And The Website Timing Trap

Denny Corby 15:48

Um, and that's what I wanna talk about next. We, we chatted a little bit, quick a bit about what was popping with Florida and some of that, but you did a really cool panel, and it's a, it's a, it's a topic that you and I have talked about, and I think it's becoming more of a, I don't wanna say a thing, but it's these clubs who do amazing renovations, right? 10, 15, 20-plus million, and they're almost done, and they go, "Oh, we should probably redo the website." Right. "We should probably get some better photos. You know, we should probably spruce up," because, you know, the clubhouse is now in 2026, but now, you know, everything else looks like it's 2006. And you have some of these clubs going, "Hey, can we get a website in a month?" And you're like, "Huh?" Like, "Come again?" Or not, not, not like a month, but like, "Hey, how quick can we get this rolling?" It's like, "Ooh, we should've been talking last year." Like, "We should've been talking a little bit." But-

Sean Bleyl 16:41

Those are, those are the conversations I never like to have, but you have to have them, right? Timing is Like, the planning part of it is so, so much more complicated these days because projects are becoming more complex. But you're right, it's, you know, the, the marketing communications part of a renovation project Sometimes comes at the last minute and there's not enough lead time, um, to be able to, you know, develop what they want to develop. And part of that is, you know, there's plenty of commercials out there that say, "Hey, you can build a website in a day." And you can, right? You could, you know, you could do just about anything in a day, but is it gonna actually deliver on what you're trying to accomplish? Probably not. I mean, in most cases, you know, unless you're pulling a, a template, which is kind of boring, right? Because then you're just the same old club, just in a different region. Most of our clients wanna do something that's super unique for them. And, you know, most of those projects, depending on how fast the client can move, those sometimes take anywhere from, like, six to eight months. Not to say that it needs to take that long, but keep in mind they're also This is one project, that they're also They still have to run the operation. They still have to get that weekly email out. They still have to, you know, keep their ongoing social media strategy going and throw this project on top of it. So, you know, what I've always found is that even if we can move quicker, sometimes our clients can't. So we wanna make sure that we're not rushing through a project that sets them up for failure.

Denny Corby 18:15

Or, or yourself, right? 'Cause then, like, if, if everybody rushes to put it together and it's, like, a half-assed job a little bit, or even it's like, you're okay but, you know, then it's like, overall everyone's like, "Eh, that's just okay." But it's like, oh, yeah, but it's like, remember we had to rush though? Like, remember we all really put our feet to the ground and, like, dug in? Mm-hmm. What, why do you think so many clubs are realizing their website collateral, all that stuff, are outdated almost after a renovation instead of before? Or, like, why Is, do you, have you s- has there, has there been any light bulbs, n- n- no pun intended, for people that they're like, "You know what? We just totally blank." Like, has there been, like, a reason why? Is it, or is it just because maybe the renovation stuff takes so much manpower and, like, mental, uh, mental I don't even know what I'm trying to say. Like, m- men- mental stuff that you're like, "Oh, my," then it's like, "Oh, now we gotta deal with this." 'Cause it, it's hard stuff to deal with. Like, it, there are a lot of questions and answers and things you gotta pick and decide.

Sean Bleyl 19:07

Um, I don't know. There's- The clubs that do it really well, I find-- I find with the clubs that, that do it very well, they actually include the marketing communications person in the renovation planning sessions, right? It's not, you know, they view that department as somebody who's gonna connect the dots across all departments, um, create a very consistent, not only brand, but consistent communications plan. When you are doing a renovation, there are so many things that are happening, right? It could be, you know, you, you pull up to the club this day, and ultimately the electric company's there, and they're digging holes, and the members can't park in their normal parking lot, and they were showing up to their tee time a little bit too late, and now they've gotta reroute and go to something else. Like, you-- if you're not communicating clearly, early, often, and consistent, you're, you're setting people up to kind of have a very stressful experience. And the clubs that do it well involve the, the marketing and communications department in those meetings very early on. They can hear what the committees are trying to accomplish, because guess what? They're gonna be the ones most likely responsible for distributing content to the membership. And if they're involved at the last minute, not understanding why they need to communicate it this way, um, you know, they're just playing catch-up. So I think involving that department early on helps later on. Yeah. Because they will be the ones thinking about, "Hmm, this great photographer that I need to capture, you know, content for the renovated golf course is a very- in demand photographer, right? So by the time you come around to thinking that you need a, a photo shoot for your club, ultimately they might be booked three or four months out. The person who does all of our photography and video for clubs, I worked with a-- um, I had a conversation with a club in Rhode Island, I don't know, about two, probably two weeks ago now. They're like, "Yeah, we need to get a photo shoot in here. The, the course is looking great." And I'm like, "Wonderful. We're completely booked up until almost October." And he's like, "Fall time isn't really the best time, uh, for us to take photos here because it's just not that type of a course." And, you know, so they kinda missed the boat, right? They missed the boat- Yeah on the scheduling part of it. And I find with renovations, it's a very similar scenario.

What The Panel Taught About Collaboration

Denny Corby 21:35

Yeah. W- uh, when you had the panel, w- were you-- you guys were talking about this stuff, what was their feedback? What was their-- what were, what were their insights on this sort of stuff?

Sean Bleyl 21:46

So the-- when we got the panel together, it was really interesting. Like, the, the group was put together by the association. Um, and I was so happy that I, I knew a couple of the people on the panel, and there was a couple people on the panel- Always helps it, it does, it definitely helps. Um, but there was a couple people who I had never met before. Um, and actually one of the chefs who was on the panel, um, Tim Record, who's the director of culinary down at the club at Mediterra, I had never met him. Actually, I met him once during a, a club tour, um, when he was taking me a, me and a group of people through, uh, the tour of the kitchen at, at the club he was working at at the time. So I had known of him, and I had followed him on social media, and he produces some really great content, and he's really big on, on building out, you know, culinary teams at clubs, which I think is really great. I had never met him before. Um, and his insight on how his department in the kitchen impacts the, the experience for all of the members, not just when they're eating at the club, but ultimately maybe it's when they are telling their friends about a meal at the club. Like, he starts the experience so early on. But one of the things that he mentioned, which really, you know, turned a light on in my head, was that he talked a lot about When he was at clubs previously, he was kind of a part of the marketing team. Now he's at a club that has a full marketing department at it. And so part of his conversation was a little bit about how do you-- even though you know how to do the work, you know how to create a really good social media following, you know how to, um, you know, get the photos and the content and pull that out of your team, how do you somewhat give up control? Because even though you know how to do it, doesn't mean you should be the one doing it. And, you know, it was really insightful to hear, um, somebody who's been so successful in their career talk about, hey, how do you, how do you give up control a little bit in order to scale? Because now that he has a full marketing department, um, he doesn't have to do everything. And what I think about is, okay, now that he doesn't have to do everything, what is he filling his time with? It could be grooming the next executive sh- you know, could be the sous chef at his club who's gonna be the next executive chef at another club. And, you know, so he focuses a lot of his time now on kind of member engagement and recruitment. And that's kind of the fun thing that when you somewhat give up control, how do you get more out of it?

Denny Corby 24:31

So it was more of an operational panel than like a marketing panel?

Sean Bleyl 24:34

It was a, it was how-- So we had, so we had an executive chef, we had a golf professional, a director of marketing, a director of, um, kind of health and fitness, and a general manager on the panel. And- Sounds like a start of a

Denny Corby 24:50

bad joke.

Sean Bleyl 24:51

Yeah, exactly. All of them wa- all of them walked into a bar and this is what happened. So the, the, they all had different opinions as to how marketing communications works at a club. And even though we've come a long way from having the siloed communications, um, or the siloed businesses, all the business at a club working in silos, we've come a long way where those silos have been broken down over the years, and I think that that's a really good thing. But each one of those people on the panel had a different view of marketing and communications and how their team or their department fits into the overall plan. I, I thought that that was one of the most interesting things about the panel is that they were all very vulnerable talking about what they do. They were very comfortable talking about what they do well, but they were also very vulnerable in saying, "Hey, this isn't something that I specialize in and, but I know we need to do it. And ultimately, how do we collaborate with somebody else on our team to deliver a really good experience to the members?" And Justin Defond, who's now down at, uh, Twin Eagles Club in Naples, he talked a lot about how his golf department-- He's working with a brand new communications director, um, who he's always had this vision of this kind of Masters style tournament, but he needed some help from the communications person to bring it to life through content and video. And he had mentioned that he couldn't have done it alone. He needed help, and they kind of learned it together. Um, so it was really, it was really neat to see how, how even the directors of departments at great clubs view communications a little bit differently than each other, but they all realize that they need to collaborate as a club in order to ultimately provide that really good experience for members.

Denny Corby 26:44

what was the biggest takeaway from that panel? Looking back, you're able to like now from like that 30,000 foot view, 'cause a, a panel's difficult. Like there's a lot of moving parts because you have your questions and you know all that stuff. But then if somebody says one thing, you're like, "Okay, actually I have to dig deeper on that." So you're trying to like manipulate time. You're trying to do the notes and like, you know, not cross over and keep people on track. Looking back now, you had time to think about it. It's been, been a few weeks. What do you think were the highlights from that panel, or at least your highlights that kind of connected the dots? Like what were some of the like things that brought it all together?

The Real Value Of Education Takeaways

Sean Bleyl 27:19

One takeaway for me, um, not even specifically on the panel, but for that event in general, is that- I think, I think you told me this one time where you don't have to tell them everything you know, but you have to tell them what they need to know right now.

Denny Corby 27:40

Yeah.

Sean Bleyl 27:40

You said it much better than that. I don't... Do you remember what

Denny Corby 27:43

that saying was? No, it, it was basically that. It was, it was you don't have to tell everybody, you don't, you don't have to tell them everything you know, you just have to tell them everything they need to know.

Sean Bleyl 27:50

And that stuck in my head, um, as I was reflecting back on the panel because throughout all the education sessions, you know, if you can pick up on one nugget in every single session, that's a win. Amen. And w- what I found afterwards from, you know, everybody usually comes up and says, "Hey, you did a great job," and that's awesome, right? Whether you did or you didn't, right? That's just the more comfortable thing to say. And what I've started doing is saying, "Oh, great. Awesome. Glad you enjoyed it. What was your favorite part?" Right? Kinda getting that question back to them to understand what was that one nugget that they took away. And You know, some of the conversations that were happening post-education were, "Oh my goodness, this was one piece that I never thought of. I'm gonna go try that at my club." And one of them was how to display, um, kind of your weekly specials in a way that is fun, right? Because members always wanna know what the soup of the day is, right? Um, but how do you do it in a way that's not time-consuming? And one of the, um, ideas that they had on the panel was basically every Thursday, they have one kind of flip book where they put in the seven weekly specials for the week, and ultimately they send that out on Thursday. It, you know, doesn't take that long to create now that they're in a rhythm, and it was one of the items that now I'm actually seeing certain clubs that I'm reaching out to. They're like, "Hey, I tried that and it worked." And so for me, the takeaway is, yes, on maybe some of the education that we provide, but it's really about what are you hoping to get out of the education when you go to an event like that?

Denny Corby 29:40

Yeah.

Sean Bleyl 29:40

Um, you don't need 50 pages of notes. You just need the right notes and a couple different takeaways to make that event successful for you.

Denny Corby 29:49

Yeah, I always tell pe- like, have, have a goal for the event. Like, just go in with some sort of mindset of what you're trying to acco- You know, kind of going back to our beginning part of the episode, it's, yeah, everyone's there for the conference and the education, all that stuff, and, and most people go with goal, like, have something in mind, but they don't either say it, they don't write it down, they don't tell somebody else, or like, you know, they just, there's some, a little bit of intention going into it. Like, okay, what do I really, what's, like, one or two things I really need to get out of this? Um-

Sean Bleyl 30:15

So, it's funny you say that. When, whenever I go to an event and I'm taking my own notes, um, I have right on the top of my note sheet, I build it into my notes template. I'm a, I'm a weirdo. I end up like I've When I go, I'm like the good student. I like to sit in the front, I take all the notes, and I, you know, I make sure I have my pen and my coffee and I'm just, I'm, like, ready. Um, but I started this a few years ago, um, based off of an education session that I saw, is that going into an event with intention as to what you're hoping to get out of it helps you get more out of it. And the three things I write on the top of my notes on every single page, the three things I wanna get out of an event. I wanna get out of, um, I wanna bring back something for me, something for my family, and then something for my team And

Denny Corby 31:06

find one-

Sean Bleyl 31:06

MFT Oh,

Denny Corby 31:09

that's nice. Me Family Team.

Sean Bleyl 31:11

Maybe it should go the other way around though, right? It should go TM, TM something. I don't know.

Denny Corby 31:18

TME.

Sean Bleyl 31:18

But-

Denny Corby 31:19

No, T- TME? No, wait. Oh, this is gonna be good. Tem, sem, set, semt. Four hours later, sh- sh- sh- I, I, I was... I, I'm gonna keep that in. I was gonna take that out. I'm gonna keep that in. I'm gonna

Sean Bleyl 31:35

keep that in. So I don't know, but it, but it's also helped me so that when I'm taking my notes, um, because if it's, if it's a lesson learned that I can, like, ins- instill into my kids' lives, that's awesome. Yeah. I feel like that event is successful. If I can become more efficient or learn something about the industry, um, that's great. But I also wanna bring some insight back to my team because there could be an education event that, you know, is about a renovation or it could be about the strategic planning of a renovation. It might not necessarily be 100% focused on marketing and communications, but in the back of my mind it's, "Oh my goodness, this is a hot topic for clubs. How is, you know, the team at Members 1st and Jonas able to help- Able to help clubs kind of take that really kind of hard topic to think about and communicate that clearly to their members. So, you know, that's the stuff that I think about when I'm going to events. Um, and it's how I have fun there too.

Denny Corby 32:40

Yeah. Well, it gives you a goal. Like, I don't know, then, like, it... When you have your own goals, like, you can then, like, once you finish yours, or I don't think you ever, like, really finish them, but you can help people with others. Like, I don't know, it just makes the, makes the world go round. Mm-hmm. Um-

Sean Bleyl 32:52

And especially if you, if you go to as many events as you and I do, the thing that I love about, uh, going to events is kind of helping other people meet like-minded people, right? Kind of, you know, being the friend connector, right? Connecting

Denny Corby 33:06

the dots.

Sean Bleyl 33:07

Exactly. Exactly. I, I just think that that's, um... You know, in a, in the private club industry, it's such a... I mean, we all have hospitality running through our, running through our veins, right? It doesn't matter, kind of, what we're selling, or it doesn't matter, you know, what club we work at. Um, we, most of us get, you know, get a high out of helping other people, and I think that's something that's really, um, really fun about these events. And, like, the environment that they create is really, is really important. And if it's not comfortable enough to allow people to open up and, and create those friendships, um, you know, that's, that's no fun.

Planning Digital Projects Like Adults

Denny Corby 33:50

As we're, as we're starting to wrap up here, what does... And, and I know we're talking about, like, a mixture of, like, the panel, the c- Florida conference, you know, just networking, connecting, which, which all of this does all come together, 'cause it really is just all about communicating whatever you're trying to, uh, communicate properly. What does a club give? And this is like, I wanna just, like, bring it all home. When, when clubs are doing projects and- Maybe they treat like a website design like a, like a tech project? Like, it's almost like do they-- do people maybe just not think things take as long? I,

Sean Bleyl 34:21

I, I think so. I, but I think that that's just projects and life in general these days, right? Um, everybody wants things quickly, but doesn't understand how complicated projects can be, right? And that could be, you know, you're trying to, you know, buy new silverware for the, you know, for the grill room, right? Like, you know, you might have the perfect silverware that will work for your restaurant vibe, but ultimately the company that you wanna order it for, that product is back ordered, right? So what do you do? Do you just settle and go with kind of something that isn't gonna be the right fit? Or do you plan accordingly to do it right the first time? You know, I'm a very big fan of measuring twice, cutting once. And one of the things that I think about, uh, when I think back on all the successful projects that we've done It's, it's really the, it's really the, the major difference are the clubs that are planning in advance. Um, and, you know, they're scoping everything out correctly, and then two teams come together, right? The club and, you know, our team at Members 1st. We, we know what we're building from the start, and we are-- You know, the expectations are aligned from the beginning, not only as to what are we building, how are we gonna build it, but how are we gonna communicate that to the members once we launch it? And the, the web or the digital experience side of things, um, yes, there is a tech component, right? Because you're using software to deliver that. But it is the-- Those projects tend to do a couple different things. One, they can make a team more efficient, right? By having potentially software that saves them a little bit of time in their day-to-day duties. Um, their members are gonna be able to interact with the club easier, right? So that's a, that's a, that's a member amenity, I think, as well. Um, but what I've often find- found is that the types of projects that we do with clubs have the ability to motivate your existing employees as to why they love working at your club, right? When we are building out these, you know, maybe it's a, not necessarily just a member recruitment page, but maybe it's an employee recruitment page, like I always call it the join the team page. I always find when we are developing those components of the website, just the, the project team for the club gets motivated in a different way, right? Because they're interviewing somebody who's potentially been at the club for 25 years, and they're remembering about why they love working there. Um, because there is a little bit of a rinse and repeat, right? We all, at private clubs, we get to work in some of the nicest offices ever, right? Um, but what I've-- I still remember the first time, going back to your original question, right? What would you say to Sean, you know, back in, 25 years ago? I still remember, um, to this day, driving into that club for the first time and, you know, it was with the general manager. He was kind of guiding me through what the private club industry was gonna be like. Little did I know it was gonna be, you know, a part of my career. And I still remember like, kind of the, the smells. I remember the flowers. I remember the drive in. I remember how nervous I was because I didn't grow up in a country club environment. And sometimes when you're working at a club for so long, you forget about that first experience. And that's really great, I think, for the types of projects that we do. You know, we can help motivate, um, clubs and inspire them to realize that, hey, you really work at an awesome spot. But on the flip side of it, when we're working with a member committee on a project, some people love doing that and some people don't. Um, I'm a sucker for committees, and I just, I really enjoy learning from people who have so many different shared ex- different life experiences. But the one question I really love are The one question I love that our team always asks a member when they're involved in a project is, "Hey, Mr. Corby, great, you've just told me you've been a member here for 25 years. What do you love about the club?" And they usually just start opening up about, "Well, this is where, you know, my, my daughter learned how to play golf, and now she's getting married here next year." Like, they just start opening up. It's our job, both from the club and from our team, to help, help the member get r- excited again about why they joined the club, and ultimately bring that to life online, right? Which is a very hard thing to do, um, because so many members, so many employees, they're so proud of the club that they work at. I just think we're, we're, we're pretty lucky at Members 1st to help bring that to life, um, on-

Denny Corby 39:32

Yeah. You guys do some amazing, amazing sites, and the work that you guys do for your club clients, and the stories you're able to help them tell to help them then tell their communities, and their people, and their members, and their family, and their friends is truly amazing. And, and, yeah, yeah.

Florida Conference Excitement And Where To Connect

Sean Bleyl 39:52

And the timing's really nice too, because we are I think we're, we're both getting ready to go to the Florida CMAA Conference. Um, I'm super excited to see what you have up your sleeve, pun intended on that one.

Denny Corby 40:02

To cut it, cut it out.

Sean Bleyl 40:05

But- But I think that, um, you know, I remember last year, um, it was the August summer conference, and, uh, Kelly Grabowski, myself, Lauren Lyle, who was the project manager for Members 1st, um, was there, Mahala Hillhouse. Um, Nadia Dunrod wasn't able to, uh, join us that day for the panel. But we're coming up on a year since the Florida CMAA launched their website, and I mean, granted, we talk to them all the time about different ideas, but I'm really curious as to a year later, how have their communications plans changed? Because the one thing about website design, the one thing about marketing, membership, and communications planning, is that you have to be prepared to pivot because, you know, what you originally thought was gonna happen six months ago may be different today, right? And you've gotta be able to adjust on the fly. And I'm really curious to see, you know, how it's been going with them, um, throughout their whole digital journey, because it has evolved over the last year, year and a half, and it's been really fun to see. So, and, you know, that's the, uh That, that's one thing that I'm excited for this week.

Denny Corby 41:16

You and me both. Homie, I will see you soon. We're gonna see a bunch of friends soon. We're gonna be existing friends, new friends. I am so stoked. Thank you as always for coming on, sharing fun stuff here on the show. Appreciate you. Thanks for being on the show.

Sean Bleyl 41:34

this has been awesome. Um, certainly I've enjoyed. One, I'm an avid listener of Private Club Radio. Um, you've got a couple big episodes that I think are coming up that I'm super excited to celebrate with you. Um, but what you're doing- Episode

Denny Corby 41:46

500.

Sean Bleyl 41:47

I know. It's coming up, buddy. What are you gonna do?

Denny Corby 41:50

I don't wanna... I can't say yet, 'cause it's, it's, it's, it's... I think you and I are the only ones who are exci- Like, it's w- I, I, I almost... Yeah, yeah. It, we'll, we'll, we'll see if it comes to fruition. Um, but I thought it'd be neat. We'll see.

Sean Bleyl 42:04

And, and you know, I just think it's something

Denny Corby 42:05

that- The episode might be a little bit late, but it'll, it'll be out.

Sean Bleyl 42:08

But go- but going back to your question, right? What would, what would I tell myself 25 years ago, right? Imagine what you're g- If you go back and look at your 200th episode compared to your 500th episode, it's gonna be night and day different, right? It'll be really fun to see how you f- reflect back and see how that's evolved. But, um, I'm an avid listener. The things that you're doing for the, the Private Club community, and bringing to light a lot of these conversations is something that is a breath of fresh air. Um, and it's awesome to see the community that you've built. And, you know, for us here at Members First and Jonas, we are super, you know, excited to be a part of it.

Denny Corby 42:46

You're the man. Sean, thank you so much for coming on the show. Thank you for sharing, and thank you for being a great human and a great person and helping all of the clubs and all the people, uh, that you do in the space. If you wanna learn more about Sean, hit him up on LinkedIn. He's very active on there, S-E-A-N B-L-E-Y-L. You can also check out membersfirst.com if you are looking to upgrade your club's digital presence and digital marketing And while you're searching the webs and procrastinating, you can head on over to DennyCorby.com to learn more about the show as well as Management In Motion Enough about all that though. That's this episode. I'm your host, Denny Corby. Until next time, catch y'all on the flippity flip