To kick off 2026, Denny’s handing you a power list — the must-have relationships every club pro should be building now. Not just your board, not your team — we’re talking about your go-to people behind the scenes: your construction guy, your media contact, your legal lifeline, your “am I crazy or is this nuts?” text thread crew.

These aren’t vendors. They’re not consultants. They’re your professional brain trust — people you can count on for honest advice, better decision-making, and fewer messes down the line. From real estate to marketing to first responders, this episode is your relationship checklist (without feeling like homework).

Whether you’re a GM, AGM, event lead, or just someone who wants to grow in this business — this is your guide to leveling up in 2026.

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This isn't just a recap — it's a rapid-fire rewind of some of the biggest club leadership takeaways, off-the-wall moments, and most replayed quotes from the Private Club Radio Show in 2025.

Denny Corby brings you back through ten standout clips featuring conversations with private club professionals, GMs, consultants, and leaders who dropped gold on everything from imposter syndrome to budgeting red flags to branding with bourbon.

You’ll hear about:
 • Why ghost members and shady data could put your club at risk
 • What bourbon barrels and club culture have in common
 • How to build a personal brand (and an exit plan) before you need it
 • The balance between tradition and change in member expectations
 • How hospitality and aging intersect in a meaningful way
 • Marketing wins that started with golf carts in lakes
 • And financial blind spots every GM should avoid

Featuring clips from:
 Kaitlyn Allen, Kent Johnson, Dan Klimek, David Sweet, Jeff Wilson, Kevin Rice, Samantha Sheffield, Desi Speh, Ionel Porumb, and Ed Chapman.

Whether you're a GM, department head, or just love the behind-the-scenes stories that make this industry tick, this one’s packed with moments you’ll want to rewind.

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In this quick solo episode, Denny Corby shares his not-so-secret secret weapon: Schedule Send (or Send Later for iPhone users). It’s one of the most underrated tools in your personal and professional communication toolbox.

Whether you’re checking in with a member, sending birthday wishes, or following up like a boss — this feature lets you send emails or texts exactly when they need to land, without relying on your memory or mood. It's not just a productivity hack — it's a trust-builder and relationship-booster, especially in the club world.

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Want to get your club featured on the local news? Start here.

In this episode, Denny sits down with media pro and strategic communication consultant Julie Kraft, who spent two decades helping TV stations, newsrooms, and networks craft messages that connect. She now coaches leaders, brands, and businesses on how to tell their stories — and how to own the moment when the camera starts rolling.

Whether you’re a GM, a club marketer, a chef, or just someone with a story to share, Julie breaks down how clubs can:

• Pitch stories that get picked up by the media
• Look and sound confident during TV interviews
• Avoid the common mistakes clubs make on air
• Use local coverage to drive visibility, engagement, and excitement

If your club is doing something amazing — don’t keep it a secret. Learn how to land your segment, tell a better story, and turn 3 minutes of airtime into serious member buzz

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Holiday season at the club means packed banquet sheets, nonstop member events, and inboxes that will not quit, so let us turn that boring out of office reply into a tiny hospitality win. In this episode, I walk you through a simple way to turn your autoresponder from a dead end into a warm, useful touchpoint that actually drives engagement. You will hear a real world example from my buddy and fellow club pro, Sean Bleyl, whose OOO emails use playful subject lines, personal details, and smart links to feel human and helpful.

We talk through easy plug and play ideas for every role at the club. Chefs can drop a seasonal recipe or tease the New Years Eve menu, golf pros can link a winter warm up or holiday scramble registration, and events teams can push a wine dinner or family night with direct RSVP links. Underneath it all is a simple idea, hospitality lives in the little moments. Update that one tiny setting in your inbox and you will set better expectations, get more smiles, and quietly nudge members toward the next best thing at your club.

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Curtis Garner is running a 27 million dollar renovation at Shoal Creek,
 working out of a cottage office while the clubhouse comes down around him,
 and still finding ways to keep members happy and staff engaged.

In this episode, Curtis, Assistant GM and Director of Operations at Shoal Creek in Birmingham, walks through his path from mechanical engineering student, to hotel bar manager, to cross country move to Idaho, to coming home to Alabama in a senior leadership role.

We talk about what it is really like to lead a full property renovation while staying visible and calm, why clubs are a better long game than hotels if you want a life outside work, and how smaller teams can actually accelerate your growth if you are willing to wear a lot of hats.

Curtis also shares his work rebuilding the Alabama CMAA chapter and launching student chapters at schools like North Alabama and Auburn, plus his take on why private clubs are a perfect fit for curious, high energy, slightly shiny object brains.

If you are in the middle of a project, questioning your next career move, or trying to rebuild community in your chapter, this one will hit home.

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What if the most impactful thing your club could do this season… didn’t cost a dime?

In this episode of The Private Club Radio Show, host Denny Corby shares two powerful — and surprisingly simple — ways club leaders can make meaningful connections with members during the holidays.

It’s not about big budgets or fancy activations. It’s about human moments. Gratitude. Intentional outreach. And yes — asking your staff to take the photo.

Inside, you’ll hear:

• Why Thanksgiving is the perfect time to re-engage quiet or “missing” members
• A small hospitality habit that creates big emotional ROI
• “Miss You Week” — a low-effort, high-impact campaign you can run right now
• How dessert and check-in calls could turn into your club’s most-loved traditions
• Why member memories matter more than your club newsletter ever will

Whether you're a GM, department head, or hospitality pro, this episode is a warm reminder that the smallest gestures often go the furthest — especially when paired with purpose.

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Ever wondered what it’s like to run a private club inside one of the most iconic hospitality brands in the world?

In this episode of The Private Club Radio Show, we go behind the scenes with Kevin O’Brien, General Manager of Hershey Country Club, to explore what it takes to lead a club that sits at the intersection of tradition, luxury, and the sweetest brand in America.

With over 13 years at Hershey Entertainment & Resorts, Kevin brings a rare perspective on:

• Leading a private club within a corporate hospitality structure
• Building a culture of internal growth and leadership development
• Balancing guest experience across resort and member expectations
• Managing multiple outlets, teams, and operations under one vision
• What makes the Hershey model unique — and what other clubs can learn from it

From food and beverage to full club operations, Kevin’s journey is a masterclass in consistency, adaptability, and sweet leadership. 

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She started as a server. Now she’s the General Manager.

In this episode, we sit down with Jennifer Felegy, CCM, General Manager of Lehigh Country Club, to explore what it really takes to build a club career from the ground up.

Over her 25+ years in private clubs, Jen has done it all — membership, HR, events, operations, even teaching hospitality students. Her story is one of grit, loyalty, and long-game leadership.

We talk about:

• What it’s like to rise through the ranks at the same club
• How to lead a team that’s watched you grow up
• Building culture, retaining staff, and adapting to change post-COVID
• What young professionals and future GMs really need to hear
• And the leadership lessons you won’t find in a textbook

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This episode is a beginner friendly kit for anyone speaking in front of people, clubs, teams, boards, or conferences. You will learn a simple structure that uses fifteens and tens, how to build clean chunks, one idea, one story, one tool, how to use WIIFM so people lean in, and how to finish on time. We cover pre show nerves, mix and mingle to make friends, the smile on purpose trick, confidence monitors for secret notes, slide do’s, crowd control, and the silent vibrate alarm so you can pivot without staring at your watch. Short, sweet, on time, and packed with practical moves you can use this week.

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