Welcome to the very first episode of The FEC Masterminds Podcast! Before we start bringing in guests from across the country, your hosts Clint Novak (Owner of Planet Novak) and Eric Stottlemyer (Owner of Adventure Park USA) are taking the mic to share their own industry origin stories.

This is a podcast built by operators, for operators. We believe in sharing real numbers, trading the blueprints that actually work, and yes—stealing each other's best ideas to elevate the entire amusement industry.

In this episode, we break down:

• The Mission: How this show was born out of a real-world operator mastermind group dedicated to solving problems and growing revenue.

• Clint’s Journey: How tweeting a picture of a Tilt-a-Whirl in a parking lot turned a coaster enthusiast into a ride operator, and eventually the General Manager of Fun Land of Fredericksburg. Clint details the grueling turnaround of the park, the massive $1 million go-kart track expansion, and the chaotic media explosion from Elliot in the Morning that led to a record-breaking $6M year. He also touches on selling to Five Star Parks, consulting across 250 locations, and opening his own claw arcade, Planet Novak.

• Eric’s Journey: Growing up in the trenches of a 1980s Putt-Putt franchise in Maryland and learning business resilience firsthand. Eric shares his story of leaving a corporate Verizon career in 2003 to help his out-of-the-box-thinking father build Adventure Park USA from scratch. He opens up about the bank pulling their $2.5 million funding right before Christmas, fighting the county to build the Wildcat roller coaster, and the emotional micro-moments that make all the stress worth it.

Whether you run a massive multi-attraction park or a local family arcade, we are here to help you grow.

Hit subscribe, leave us a review, and we'll see you out on the midways!