Episode Description:

Gregg Patterson has been studying private club culture since 1974. What he's found is that the generational divide everyone worries about is mostly a story clubs tell themselves.

In this episode, Ed sits down with Patterson, longtime general manager of The Beach Club in Santa Monica and founder of Tribal Magic, to dig into what actually holds a club together across generations. They cover the real purpose of a rigorous admissions process, why board education starts years before anyone gets appointed, and how a general manager functions less as an operator and more as an institutional compass.

Key Moments:

• 3:16 Why the Generational Divide Is Overstated
• 6:17 Tribal Magic and the Role of Admissions
• 7:58 What a Rigorous Process Is Actually Screening For
• 13:20 The GM as Educator and Influencer
• 16:35 Smelling the Future: Board Culture and Governance
• 23:17 How to Develop Board Members Before They Serve
• 32:41 Repairing Culture After the Pandemic Membership Rush
• 36:43 Building the Right Team Around Your Gaps

Producing a video for one of the most historic clubs in the country is one thing. Producing one that actually does it justice is another.

In this episode, Ed sits down with StoryTeller's Creative Director Steve Mulholland to revisit the brand anthem video they produced for The Olympic Club in San Francisco. Three days of filming. Two very different locations. A club with more than a century of history. And a bar that was, by everyone's admission, set pretty high.

Steve walks through how the project came together, from the planning decisions that shaped the shoot to the choices that made the final piece memorable. They talk about why messaging comes before cameras, what smart interview subject selection actually looks like, and how the first 15 seconds of a video can either earn a viewer's attention or lose it.

Key Moments:
00:00 Introduction to the Olympic Club Video Project
02:57 The Scope and Planning of the Production
06:13 Crafting the Messaging and Storytelling
08:59 Interview Selection and Participant Dynamics
11:57 Cinematic Techniques and Visual Storytelling
18:57 The Role of Music in Video Production
28:07 Memorable Elements of the Olympic Club Video

In this episode, Pat Damer, SVP of Revenue at Arcis Golf (70 properties, $1B portfolio), shares with Ed Heil how his company transformed from managing 3 clubs to 70 by prioritizing revenue operations, smart technology adoption, and member-first service. From sticky note CRMs to enterprise automation, Pat walks through the practical evolution of club operations and why revenue growth creates better member experiences.

This conversation cuts through the usual tech-versus-tradition debate with clear examples of how automation enhances, not replaces, exceptional service. If you're managing one club or scaling multiple properties, Pat's perspective on starting small, getting quick wins, and choosing the right tools will give you a practical path forward.

Episode Highlights:

01:23 – The rocket ship years: Growing from 3 clubs to 70 properties

04:18 – Investment philosophy: Why deferred maintenance and member experience both matter

06:19 – The "declare your major" conversation that shaped Pat's revenue-first approach

08:39 – Why revenue fixes more problems than cost-cutting

09:18 – Operational software vs. experience software: Understanding the distinction

14:42 – The HubSpot pivot: Moving from Salesforce to an integrated CRM platform

22:30 – Lead generation reality check: Why most clubs don't need traditional pipeline management

26:04 – Member journey automation: Pre-arrival, birthdays, and personalized communication

31:40 – The integration challenge: Why siloed systems create operational friction

37:46 – Technology and exceptional service aren't mutually exclusive

40:34 – First steps for club leaders: Start small, get quick wins, build buy-in