PodSAM

Ski area leaders juggle two demanding roles: developing people and delivering projects. This session with the Class of 2025-26 Summit Series cohort dives into how mentors strike that balance — keeping teams motivated while hitting deadlines, shaping culture while driving results, and navigating the constant pull between personalities and priorities. 

Mentors:

Mentees: 

Leadership Coach:

Thank you to our sponsor, MountainGuard, for their support of this program. 

In this episode, we explore how ski areas are using artificial intelligence to better understand performance, streamline reporting, and make more informed decisions across their operations.

This conversation comes from SAM and Eternity’s Ski Resort AI Bootcamp session held in October 2025, where industry leaders gathered to share practical examples of how AI is being applied across resort operations.

As resorts collect more data than ever—from ticketing and marketing to weather and staffing—the challenge has shifted from access to insight. AI is opening new possibilities, but it also raises important questions about data governance, security, and responsible use.

In this conversation, SAM publisher Olivia Rowan is joined by three industry leaders to discuss how they’re applying AI in practical, meaningful ways:

They share real-world examples of how better data structure leads to faster decision-making, where AI is already delivering value, and what resorts should be thinking about as these tools continue to evolve.

In this episode, we head to northern Michigan, where a late-season storm left one of the Midwest’s largest ski resorts encased in ice.

The Highlands, part of Boyne Resorts, took the brunt of a March 2025 weather event so severe it shattered tree limbs like matchsticks, buried trails, and left parts of the property without power for weeks. What followed was a massive recovery effort—bolstered by grit, camaraderie, and a whole lot of chainsaws.

SAM’s senior editor Katie Brinton and publisher Olivia Rowan sat down with The Highlands general manager Mike Chumbler, resort services director Mari Kissinger, area manager Robby Ortlieb, and Boyne Resorts vice president of mountain sports development Jeremy Cooper to hear how the team navigated danger in the immediate aftermath, rallied help from across the Boyne network, and turned a crisis into an opportunity to strengthen community and prepare for the future.

Read "After the Ice" in the September 2025 issue of SAM.

Our recent SAM Huddle, Thinking Clearly in Uncertain Times, was recorded on April 21, 2025. With tensions around trade and cross-border relations rising, this conversation brought together industry and policy perspectives to delve into how these developments are reshaping the landscape for travel and resort operations throughout North America. This is episode two of our two-part series covering this conversation. 

The J-1 visa program is facing potential cuts, prompting resorts to diversify recruitment strategies. While the program currently remains viable for the upcoming season, H-2B visas are being considered as a more stable—albeit costlier—alternative. Many resorts are preparing to use both to cover seasonal staffing needs. 

Plus, efforts to streamline the National Environmental Policy Act or NEPA process are also underway, with more responsibility placed on project sponsors to prepare documentation. Staffing shortages at the federal level are causing some delays, leading to increased use of third-party contractors. But, projects that can align with forest health and wildfire mitigation goals may gain added momentum.

Speakers:

Listen to part 1 of the conversation here.

Our recent SAM Huddle, Thinking Clearly in Uncertain Times, was recorded on April 21, 2025. The conversation brought ski industry leaders and policy experts together to unpack how current political dynamics—particularly U.S.–Canada relations and trade tensions—are affecting travel, tourism, and mountain resort operations across North America. This is episode one of our two-part series covering this conversation.

Shifting global sentiment, a steep drop in international bookings, and growing uncertainty at border-area resorts are reshaping travel behavior and forcing North American ski destinations to adapt quickly with localized marketing, flexible policies, and a greater reliance on domestic travelers.

On the other side of the business, industry suppliers are bracing for potential tariffs. While some are expediting production and shipping, others are leveraging domestic manufacturing to avoid price increases. Industry-wide, concerns are growing about tariffs as high as 160% on products tied to Chinese supply chains.

Speakers:

View MJ Legault's slideshow here and Tom Foley's slideshow here.

Listen to part 2 of the conversation here.

Feeling overwhelmed and underprepared can create self-limiting thoughts, low-performance, unmet expectations, higher stress, dissatisfaction, and even disillusionment. During this conversation from the fall with the Class of 2024-25 mentors and mentees, we dove into how to strengthen your own mental toughness and mindset to draw out higher performance from others.

Looking for more? Read "Mastering Your Mindset" in the May 2025 issue of SAM.

Mentors:

Mentees:

Expert Voices:

Thank you to our premiere sponsor, MountainGuard, for their support of this program. 

When change seems to be all we do, how do we manage it to our advantage? Listen in to a conversation from the fall with the Class of 2024-25 mentors and mentees.

Looking for more? Read "Change Management" from the January 2025 issue of SAM. 

Mentors:

Mentees:

Expert Voice:

Thank you to our premiere sponsor, MountainGuard, for their support of this program. 

SAM sat down with the new National Ski Areas Association president and CEO, Mike Reitzell. This extended cut interview expands upon the "Meet Mike" article in SAM's January 2025 issue. 

During the 6th annual Summit Series leadership development program, six of our mentors and an expert voice discuss what it takes to balance the weight of the workforce and workplace on your shoulders, while striking a balance within yourself and your team.

As we welcome mentee nominations for this year's Summit Series, we will be sharing those conversations on PodSAM. 

Learn more about the Summit Series at saminfo.com. 

During the 6th annual Summit Series leadership development program, six of our mentors and an expert voice discuss how to build trust, communicate, and problem solve with your teams, with our group of mentees. 

As we welcome mentee nominations for this year's Summit Series, we will be sharing those conversations on PodSAM. You can also find a recap in the pages of SAM Magazine's March 2024 issue.

Learn more about the Summit Series at saminfo.com.