Podcasts about Freedom Boat Club

In this episode of Yachting Unplugged, Kim Sweers and Rick Thomas come together in downtown Fort Lauderdale to deliver an impactful conversation covering emotional tributes, essential safety innovations, and major shifts across the marine industry. The episode opens with a special tribute to Frans Heesen, founder of Heesen Yachts and a true pioneer in the superyacht world. The hosts then dive into critical boating safety tips, including the real-life importance of personal flotation devices, highlighted by actual rescue scenarios. They explore cutting-edge innovations like the Mustang survival life jackets and the Cuda Jet hydrodynamic pack, setting new standards for marine adventure technology. Industry updates include the unveiling of a new 60-meter superyacht series, Freedom Boat Club's continued expansion, and major leadership changes at Cigarette Racing and Rec Boat Holdings LLC. From lessons learned during bareboat charters to a deep look at South Florida's dominance in the global yachting lifestyle, this episode is packed with insights for industry veterans and newcomers alike. Subscribe for more industry insights, expert interviews, and the latest yachting news. To contact Kim Sweers "The Boat Boss" & Managing Partner, FB Marine Group:

Hey everyone! In this episode of The Woman Angler & Adventurer, I'm joined by the incredible Nichole Mara! We dive into the world of bass fishing and boating as Nichole shares her inspiring journey from her early days in Illinois to her current role as the Midwest Region Marketing Activation Specialist for Freedom Boat Club.Nichole opens up about the unique challenges and triumphs of being a woman in the male-dominated fishing industry and how Illinois became the trailblazer for making bass fishing a high school sport. She also gives us a glimpse into her role as a tournament director and how she's fostering the next generation of fishing enthusiasts.We explore the unique synergy between Freedom Boat Club and the fishing community, with exciting plans for member fishing tournaments and educational events. Nichole's passion for empowering women in the industry is contagious, and she offers valuable advice for young girls looking to venture into fishing.Whether you're a seasoned angler or just starting out, this episode is packed with insights and inspiration. Tune in now for an amazing conversation filled with passion and persistence. Don't forget to check out the show notes for links to Nichole's social media and learn more about the upcoming events!Happy fishing!

The Lower Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report is your best resource for the Virginia Beach Fishing Report, Ocean View Fishing Report, Norfolk Fishing Report, Lynnhaven Inlet Fishing Report, and everywhere in between.For the anglers looking for an Eastern Shore Fishing Report, Hampton fishing report, Buckroe Beach Fishing Report, or York River fishing report, look no further. Every week we bring you a report for those anglers interested in a Cape Charles fishing report and a Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel fishing report and for every location in the Lower Chesapeake Bay. For our guys looking for the Virginia fishing report, we've got you covered.This week we're talking to Captain Russ Kostinas aboard Top Notch Charter Fishing out of Rudee Inlet in Virginia Beach. This past week, the Top Notch caught several billfish and Mahi, including a remarkable 600+ pound Blue Marlin, by some retired Navy Seals. To contact and book: visit their website, call 757-681-8068 or email TopNotchCharterFishing@gmail.com  Captain Austin Hayne (Finao Sportfishing) gives us a report on recent Cobia fishing, as PODS of fish as they start to stage up for their migration. We also talk about a wild ride on September 3rd, during a NE blow with 5 foot waves at short intervals, while aboard the Fathom Offshore Team fishing boat, ‘Clickthrough'. Despite impossible sea and wind conditions, we managed to find and catch them! Captain Austin is an expert in overcoming challenges and making it happen, call to book 757-530-4009 or visit: Finao Sportfishing This week we talk with retired Navy Senior Chief, Captain Andy Sutter, owner and operator of Freedom Boat Club of Hampton Roads. #MoreAwaits when you join the boat club and the experience is completely hassle free. You'll receive unlimited training and spend zero time on maintenance or cleaning. Members can also take advantage of reciprocity, meaning, plan your vacation around the country or the globe, and take advantage of getting on the water while on your vacation!It's all brought to you whether it's good, bad, or ugly. Please subscribe, rate, and review wherever you listen to podcasts. Remember to text the word “LCBFR” to to 779-435-2918 or visit us online at www.greatdaysoutdoors.com/lcbfr to be added to our email list and we'll send you the new show each week! All Lower Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report Email Subscribers receive a PROMO CODE for a FREE AFTCO Camo Sunglasses Cleaner Cloth with the purchase of any products!Sponsors:Convert SolarSam Rust Seafood Great Days OutdoorsAirMedCareHilton's Realtime-NavigatorAFTCO

Hey everyone, it's Angie Scott, your host of the Woman Angler and Adventurer podcast. Can you believe it? We've reached the end of the 2024 season, and what a journey it's been! On this episode, I take a moment to reflect on some of the amazing stories we've shared and to thank all of you for joining us on this adventure. We also give a quick shout-out to all our incredible sponsors, including Adventuress Magazine, Polyform US, Stealth Mode, iBass360, Freedom Boat Club of Tennessee, Crestliner, Mercury, Z Pro Lithium, St. Croix Rods, Seviin Reels, and Costa Sunglasses. Their support has been invaluable, and I can't thank them enough. I also share some personal updates, including plans to head down to our winter home in Florida and some exciting fishing adventures with my Crestliner MX 19. Plus, I talk about our plans for 2025, so stay tuned for more updates. We take a trip down memory lane and revisit some of the highlights from the 2024 season, including our conversation with the famous author and commercial fisherman Linda Greenlaw, meeting amazing anglers like Elizabeth Eastman and Cathy Sanders, and diving into the world of conservation with Martha Guyas, Mike Leonard, Shannon Martin, Miguela Minto, and John Stallone. I also express my gratitude for all the guest and topic suggestions we've received. Your input is invaluable, and I'm always eager to hear from you. Remember, you can reach out through our website, leave a voicemail, or email me directly. So, be sure to tune in for this special recap episode, and don't forget to subscribe to the podcast so you never miss a new episode. Thanks for your support, and keep fishing, keep adventuring! See you next time. Mentioned in This Episode: ⁠Follow me on Facebook⁠ ⁠The Woman Angler & Adventurer Facebook Page⁠ ⁠The Woman Angler & Adventurer Facebook Community⁠ ⁠Follow The Woman Angler & Podcast on Instagram⁠

In this episode of the Business of Boating podcast, we sit down with Brent Parker, Managing Partner at Vizion Capital, to explore the intricacies of business acquisitions and sales. Brent shares his extensive experience and insights, drawing from his successful leadership at Freedom Boat Club and his current role guiding first-time entrepreneurs. Listeners will gain practical advice on evaluating business opportunities, navigating the due diligence process, financing acquisitions, and integrating new businesses. Join us as Brent discusses the challenges and triumphs of buying and selling businesses, offering valuable strategies for entrepreneurs at all stages of their journey.Brent ParkerMerrill CharetteMIDA.PRO - Marine Industry Digital Agency - MarketingSupport the Show.

Traci Shaffner is the owner of The Cabin Pub - a lovely little waterfront bar in Davidson at the North Harbor cove. In this podcast episode, Traci shares the story of her entrepreneurial journey and the inspiration for buying The Cabin Pub in 2023.Listen in as Traci shares details about their cocktail program, live entertainment, as well as the products she's curating for her guests from veteran-owned brands.The Cabin400 N Harbor Pl Dr ADavidson, NC 28036(980) 483-1529Special thanks to:Freedom Boat Club of Lake NormanThe Best of LKN Podcast & Email NewsletterProduced by Epic Journey MediaSpecial thanks to our SponsorsSupport the Show.

Greg and Kevin dive into the world of boat clubs with Andy Sutter, owner of a Freedom Boat Club franchise. Andy, a Navy veteran with a deep passion for the water, shares his journey from military service to running a multi-location boat club operation on the East Coast. Andy shares his insight on why he decided to start a boat club opposed to renting boats, and why he enjoys the consistency from a franchise model. [SPONSORS] - This show is sponsored by ConversionAssist, Take My Boat Test, and WaveRez.Show Links:Website: https://www.watersportpodcast.comFacebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/awgpodcastFacebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1155418904790489Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/awg_podcast/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3TSseuv2wdIYO5nuviZSwQ

Angie Scott is a Renaissance woman of sorts in the fishing world. She does it all. She launched the Woman Angler & Adventurer podcast in 2018 to highlight female anglers in the sport who are doing amazing things. She's a USCG Licensed Master Captain for Freedom Boat Club of Tennessee, and a professional angler on the Women's Pro Bass Tour. Angie developed a love for fishing in her youth, chasing walleye in Minnesota. She moved to Nashville to pursue a profession in the music world, but found herself longing to have a career that revolved around fishing. That's what led her to launch a podcast and connect with remarkable women in the outdoors world. Angie joins the Anglers Journal Podcast to talk about her work and her passion for getting more women involved in fishing. Subscribe to Anglers Journal at AnglersJournal.com/subscribe Sign up for the weekly Newsletter Visit Woman Angler and Adventurer at thewomanangler.com

This week's FLBL features Freedom Boat Club Jacksonville, the local branch of the world's largest boat club.

The waves, the spray, the exhilaration that typify the boating lifestyle are within reach with technology Brunswick is applying to maritime experiences. The company has leveraged a range of innovations to become the largest recreational marine company in the world. CEO David Foulkes explains how Brunswick's systems, sensors, joystick controls, GPS and more give boaters what they want, whether they're beginners, seasoned seafarers or weekend water warriors. For example: Brunswick's autonomous tech uses sensors and controls familiar to gamers to head off, among other issues, docking complexities that can plague even experienced boaters. That's important when the docking site is a tight fit or located in choppy water. The connected and electric components of the ACES (autonomous, connected, electric and shared) framework mean, respectively, that boats can be monitored and secured remotely, and propelled more sustainably with electric outboard motors. Through Brunswick's Freedom Boat Club, which is the largest of its type in the world, membership affords access to some 400 boating locations and 5000 vessels across the U.S., Europe and beyond. With more than 100,000 members, club participants benefit from variety, convenience and carefree maintenance. Look for the marina of the future by Brunswick at CES 2024. The exhibit will demonstrate the diversity of Brunswick boats, as well as the accompanying technology, and new formats including e-foils and e-surfboards.

Welcome back to another exciting episode of The Woman Angler & Adventurer! In today's episode, we have a special guest, Patricia Clement, or as she likes to call herself, Rivah Sistah. Patricia's journey from growing up in Brooklyn with limited exposure to the outdoors to becoming a passionate angler and adventurer is truly inspiring.  Join us as we delve into Patricia's story of how she found her love for fishing and camping, and how it led her to create "Rivah Sistah" to encourage other women to stock their freezers with seafood. We also discuss Patricia's partnership with the Freedom Boat Club, which offers hands-on training and the opportunity to try out different boats before deciding to purchase one. But Patricia's influence and success go beyond social media numbers, as she shares her background in law enforcement, her passion for community service, and her plans to mentor young kids through fishing programs. Plus, find out how Patricia's journey intersects with mine and RV life. So sit back, relax, and get ready to dive into the world of Patricia Clement, the Rivah Sistah, on this episode of The Woman Angler & Adventurer. Mentioned in this episode: Rivah Sistah Website Follow Rivah Sistah on Social Media Support Our Partners! Full episode notes available at thewomanangler.com/306 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome back to another exciting episode of The Woman Angler & Adventurer! In today's episode, we have a special guest, Patricia Clement, or as she likes to call herself, Rivah Sistah. Patricia's journey from growing up in Brooklyn with limited exposure to the outdoors to becoming a passionate angler and adventurer is truly inspiring.  Join us as we delve into Patricia's story of how she found her love for fishing and camping, and how it led her to create "Rivah Sistah" to encourage other women to stock their freezers with seafood. We also discuss Patricia's partnership with the Freedom Boat Club, which offers hands-on training and the opportunity to try out different boats before deciding to purchase one. But Patricia's influence and success go beyond social media numbers, as she shares her background in law enforcement, her passion for community service, and her plans to mentor young kids through fishing programs. Plus, find out how Patricia's journey intersects with mine and RV life. So sit back, relax, and get ready to dive into the world of Patricia Clement, the Rivah Sistah, on this episode of The Woman Angler & Adventurer. Mentioned in this episode: Rivah Sistah Website Follow Rivah Sistah on Social Media Support Our Partners! Full episode notes available at thewomanangler.com/306

Nommé à la tête des offres boat clubs de la branche Boating Solutions du groupe Bénéteau, Paul Blanc nous explique la stratégie du leader de la plaisance dans ce secteur des services et des boat clubs, les leçons qu'il tire des expériences passées auprès de Freedom Boat Club et du Bénéteau Boat Club, ainsi que ses ambitions, à travers notamment le rachat de Wiziboat. 👉 Lire l'article et voir les photos. En savoir plus sur les sujets abordés dans cet épisode : Bénéteau Boat Club Bénéteau Boat Club wiziboat Parce qu'il n'a jamais été aussi important de se tenir informé des nouvelles tendances, de la vie des professionnels et des derniers développements de produits, BoatIndustry fournit un contenu journalistique indépendant afin d'apporter un éclairage indispensable aux acteurs, prescripteurs et décideurs de l'industrie du nautisme. Avec sa couverture globale de l'information, BoatIndustry est présent sur 4 secteurs : Les chantiers nautiques Les équipementiers et motoristes Les services, loueurs, la maintenance La filière, la réglementation et les événements Avec une diffusion en 5 langues (Français 🇫🇷, Anglais 🇺🇸, Allemand 🇩🇪, Italien 🇮🇹 et Espagnol 🇪🇸) et un lectorat reparti dans plus de 140 pays 🌍, BoatIndustry est considéré comme le média international essentiel de communication avec les chantiers nautiques, les fabricants d'équipements ainsi qu'avec les distributeurs et les concessionnaires. BoatIndustry est édité de concert avec le magazine Bateaux.com à destination des plaisanciers français 🇫🇷, qui se décline à l'international avec Boote.com pour l'allemand 🇩🇪, Boatsnews.com pour l'anglais 🇺🇸, Boatsnews.es pour l'espagnol 🇪🇸 et Boatsnews.it pour l'italien 🇮🇹. ✉️ N'hésitez pas à nous envoyer un commentaire ou une news en cliquant ici. 👉 Et n'oubliez pas de laisser 5 étoiles si l'information vous a plu 🙏.

This episode is sponsored by Ripl, an online community for anyone who loves the water. They are giving away 5 prizes to our community, with the grand prize being a Yeti Tundra 45 Cooler kit - perfect for your next adventure! Entering is simple, just join Ripl and share your favorite place to get out on the water and why you love it.  Click >>> here

In this episode of The Woman Angler & Adventurer, I get to chat with my fishing partner for the 2023 iCast Cup, Jeanine Blair, the founder of Fishanistas. We reflect on our recent experience fishing in the big tournament. Jeanine also shares her perspective on attending iCast for the first time and the joy of meeting some of her fishing legends. The discussion also delves into the importance of women supporting each other in the fishing industry and the empowering community of Fishanistas. Tune in for an inspiring conversation that celebrates women in fishing and adventuring.  Thanks once again to Freedom Boat Club for making this happen! Mentioned in this Episode: Fishanistas Freedom Boat Club iCast Cup Support Our Partners! Full show notes available at thewomanangler.com/298

In this episode of The Woman Angler & Adventurer, I get to chat with my fishing partner for the 2023 iCast Cup, Jeanine Blair, the founder of Fishanistas. We reflect on our recent experience fishing in the big tournament. Jeanine also shares her perspective on attending iCast for the first time and the joy of meeting some of her fishing legends. The discussion also delves into the importance of women supporting each other in the fishing industry and the empowering community of Fishanistas. Tune in for an inspiring conversation that celebrates women in fishing and adventuring.  Thanks once again to Freedom Boat Club for making this happen! Mentioned in this Episode: Fishanistas Freedom Boat Club iCast Cup Support Our Partners! Full show notes available at thewomanangler.com/298 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chris Wallace is back in studio with us reminding all on the many fun and relaxing activities found on the water! Situated just 20 minutes north of Dallas and DFW. The locally owned and operated Lake Lewisville location is conveniently located within minutes of Frisco, Plano, The Colony, Carrolton, and Castle Hills. Lewisville is one of the largest recreational boating areas in northern Texas spanning 29,000 acres and 233 miles of shoreline. It's a favorite of many locals and visitors alike.  Outdoor activities are abundant in the lake including fishing, wakesurfing and boarding, swimming, camping, paddleboarding, kayaking. There are several parks on the lake with hiking and biking trails and an abundance of shoreline and sandy beaches to enjoy.Independently owned and operated by North Texas Adventures LLCFREEDOM BOAT CLUB - DALLAS Today, Freedom Boat Club welcomes and embraces a broad mix of members to its ranks, from first-time boaters and newbies, to seasoned salts and former boat owners, from young families to active retired. . Anyone who loves the water and water-related activities is embraced as a member of Freedom Boat Club!

A l'occasion de l'ouverture de la base marseillaise de Freedom Boat Club, nous sommes allés à la rencontre de Marianela Clavier, Operation Manager sur la zone EMEA. Focus sur le développement du réseau et les modalités d'adhésion à la franchise. 👉 Lire l'article et voir les photos. En savoir plus sur les sujets abordés dans cet épisode : Brunswick Boat Club Freedom Boat Club Parce qu'il n'a jamais été aussi important de se tenir informé des nouvelles tendances, de la vie des professionnels et des derniers développements de produits, BoatIndustry fournit un contenu journalistique indépendant afin d'apporter un éclairage indispensable aux acteurs, prescripteurs et décideurs de l'industrie du nautisme. Avec sa couverture globale de l'information, BoatIndustry est présent sur 4 secteurs : Les chantiers nautiques Les équipementiers et motoristes Les services, loueurs, la maintenance La filière, la réglementation et les événements Avec une diffusion en 5 langues (Français 🇫🇷, Anglais 🇺🇸, Allemand 🇩🇪, Italien 🇮🇹 et Espagnol 🇪🇸) et un lectorat reparti dans plus de 140 pays 🌍, BoatIndustry est considéré comme le média international essentiel de communication avec les chantiers nautiques, les fabricants d'équipements ainsi qu'avec les distributeurs et les concessionnaires. BoatIndustry est édité de concert avec le magazine Bateaux.com à destination des plaisanciers français 🇫🇷, qui se décline à l'international avec Boote.com pour l'allemand 🇩🇪, Boatsnews.com pour l'anglais 🇺🇸, Boatsnews.es pour l'espagnol 🇪🇸 et Boatsnews.it pour l'italien 🇮🇹. ✉️ N'hésitez pas à nous envoyer un commentaire ou une news en cliquant ici. 👉 Et n'oubliez pas de laisser 5 étoiles si l'information vous a plu 🙏.

In this episode I'm excited to speak with David Kurczewski, the General Manager Shared Services Asia-Pacific, at Freedom Boat Club with a special Australia First announcement.   Imagine taking the afternoon off and being able to step onto a boat at one of 5 new locations in Australia, enjoy the glassy waters and the afternoon sun before pulling back into the marina without another thought.  That is the freedom, The Freedom Boat Club provides across its'  Global Franchise Network that spans 385+ locations around the world. Enabling members to go boating wherever there is a club when travelling.  Spend the day cruising and enjoy access to various types of boats and onboard training without the hassle of maintenance, berthing costs or cleaning.  David shares with me his journey into the world of boating and his experiences that have continued to see The Freedom Boat Club grow, acquiring more boats every year to expand the options available to its' members. Freedom now has more than 5000 boats available to it's members. What excites me most about bringing this brand to Australia is that in the US some 40% of members are female and I think the training provided on joining (including your boat licence if you need one here in Australia) and the fun events within the community are part of what attracts women to boating in this model. Given that's what the Boat Princess is all about the alignment of this brand with ours makes massive sense.  Follow our clubs on Instagram or Facebook at @fbcsydneynorth and @fbchunter, call us on 02 9457 2000 or email us on curious@freedomboatclub.com  Or if you want to see more on a website you can visit, www.freedomboatclub.au make sure you let them know The Boat Princess sent you so we can sort a special gift when you join :) x  Don't forget to follow me on instagram @theboatprincess for the latest reviews and information on all things boating.   

Situated just 20 minutes north of Dallas and DFW. The locally owned and operated Lake Lewisville location is conveniently located within minutes of Frisco, Plano, The Colony, Carrolton, and Castle Hills. Lewisville is one of the largest recreational boating areas in northern Texas spanning 29,000 acres and 233 miles of shoreline. It's a favorite of many locals and visitors alike.  Outdoor activities are abundant in the lake including fishing, wakesurfing and boarding, swimming, camping, paddleboarding, kayaking. There are several parks on the lake with hiking and biking trails and an abundance of shoreline and sandy beaches to enjoy. Independently owned and operated by North Texas Adventures LLCFREEDOM BOAT CLUB - DALLAS Today, Freedom Boat Club welcomes and embraces a broad mix of members to its ranks, from first-time boaters and newbies, to seasoned salts and former boat owners, from young families to active retired. . Anyone who loves the water and water-related activities is embraced as a member of Freedom Boat Club!

Angler Chronicles Radio Show (http://www.anglerchronicles.com/) Recorded: 06-10-23   Guests & Topics: Fresh Water report Andrew  John Keenan Freedom Boat Club Los Angeles  Johnathan Oliver Skinner Lake Elsinore  Steve Carson Salt water report  Upcoming events   Join Sergio & the Crew: Ron Hobbs (AC Fishing Schools Instructor), Capt. Larry Moore and Tony Williams (Bite-On Fishing) every Saturday morning on Angler Chronicles from 5:00-7:00 AM PST on AM 830 KLAA. "LIVE" from Angel Stadium in Anaheim, CA ... Tune in or you can also join us “LIVE” on the web at: www.am830.net Angler Chronicles is the highest rated show in its time slot and one of the highest rated outdoor shows in the nation. Each week, the crew has a variety of guests who discuss topics ranging from bass and trout to all types of saltwater fishing. The crew, consisting of host Sergio Fainsztein, Ron Hobbs (Co-Director AC Fishing Schools), and Tony Williams (Bite-On Fish Attractants) are ready to offer their advice and expertise as well as to answer specific questions from the listeners. Expect to hear regular updates from sportfishing captains including Capt. Rick Scott (Ocean Odyssey), Capt. Chris Pica (Dana Wharf Sportfishing), Capt. Damon Davis (Davey's Locker Sportfishing), and Capt. Rick Oefinger (Marina Del Rey Sportfishing). You can also expect weekly reports on all local fresh and saltwater destinations.  

Ça bouge dans l'industrie nautique. Retour sur les dernières nouvelles des professionnels de la plaisance. Les brèves du 31 mars 2023. 👉 Lire l'article et voir les photos. En savoir plus sur les sujets abordés dans cet épisode : Cummins Marseille Lorient Sanlorenzo Port de plaisance Chris Craft Freedom Boat Club Association nationale des élus du littoral Parce qu'il n'a jamais été aussi important de se tenir informé des nouvelles tendances, de la vie des professionnels et des derniers développements de produits, BoatIndustry fournit un contenu journalistique indépendant afin d'apporter un éclairage indispensable aux acteurs, prescripteurs et décideurs de l'industrie du nautisme. Avec sa couverture globale de l'information, BoatIndustry est présent sur 4 secteurs : Les chantiers nautiques Les équipementiers et motoristes Les services, loueurs, la maintenance La filière, la réglementation et les événements Avec une diffusion en 5 langues (Français 🇫🇷, Anglais 🇺🇸, Allemand 🇩🇪, Italien 🇮🇹 et Espagnol 🇪🇸) et un lectorat reparti dans plus de 140 pays 🌍, BoatIndustry est considéré comme le média international essentiel de communication avec les chantiers nautiques, les fabricants d'équipements ainsi qu'avec les distributeurs et les concessionnaires. BoatIndustry est édité de concert avec le magazine Bateaux.com à destination des plaisanciers français 🇫🇷, qui se décline à l'international avec Boote.com pour l'allemand 🇩🇪, Boatsnews.com pour l'anglais 🇺🇸, Boatsnews.es pour l'espagnol 🇪🇸 et Boatsnews.it pour l'italien 🇮🇹. ✉️ N'hésitez pas à nous envoyer un commentaire ou une news en cliquant ici. 👉 Et n'oubliez pas de laisser 5 étoiles si l'information vous a plu 🙏.

How has the shared access model of boat clubs impacted overall recreational boating participation and boat ownership? Why are the demographics of boat club members different than that of the general boating owning population? What has fueled the growth of Freedom Boat Club? Join Boating Industry Insider host David Gee as he interviews Freedom Boat Club President Cecil Cohn from the Miami International Boat Show. They'll discuss how Freedom went from 170 locations to over 370, and how they're working to get more people on the water.

Today I'm talking with Pro Angler and Podcaster Angie Scott. Angie is the creator of The Woman Angler & Adventurer podcast. And it's become more than just a podcast. It's a growing community of like-minded women supporting each other through Angie's Facebook group. It's turning into a movement and the industry IS taking notice! Facebook Twitter Instagram The Outdoor Biz Podcast Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! Sign up for my Newsletter HERE.  I'd love to hear your feedback about the show! You can contact me here: email: rick@theoutdoorbizpodcast.com or leave me a message on Speakpipe! Brought to you by: Tee Public Show Notes How were you introduced to Fishing? I started fishing before I can even remember honestly. Minnesota is where I grew up and it's just a culture, it seems like, of outdoors people up there. And so, my dad had a little aluminum fishing boat and a 40-horsepower motor. He still has that same exact boat and motor to this day, which is pretty unheard of. But, he's mechanical and is able to fix most things when something goes wrong with that motor. But, yeah, so, just grew up doing that. When did you begin fishing competitively? So I started that back in 2018. I moved to Nashville back in 1999 and had kind of gotten away from it. I moved down to Nashville and I went to college and then got a job in the music business and that really ended up taking up a lot of my time and kind of pulled me away from, getting out there and fishing.  What were you doing in the music business? So I went to a school in Tennessee that has a really good music business program called Middle Tennessee State University. And I was on the business side. They have a production side. If you're wanting to get into like producing records and things like that, then they also have a business side, and that was really where my interests were. I really had no agenda as far as what I wanted to do in the business. I just knew I wanted to be in the music business. So did that come from family or how, where'd that come from? Yeah, a little bit. So I had an older brother, six years older than me, and that's my only sibling, and he was just really into music growing up. So I got this job at Creative Artist Agency and ends up, they're the biggest talent agency in the country. The world maybe. I did that for 16 years. And I had an interior office for the majority of that time, and that was tough on somebody who really loves the outdoors. I just getting to the point where I'm like, you know, do I really wanna wake up at 65 and have sat behind a desk my whole life? I love going to concerts and meeting cool people, but I don't really wanna do this for the rest of my life. And so that's when I kind of started thinking, what could I do outdoors-oriented? That was when I started working on my captain's license, and started the podcast. What inspired the storytelling part of it? I mean, what better way to inspire somebody else to get involved? Then to hear somebody who's out there doing it every day and how they do it, do it. I just think it's a great way to inspire people. And also be able to preserve their stories exactly for future generations. is another great, great benefit to it. Do you focus mainly on warm-water fishing? I try to cover everything. So I've had a lot of fly anglers on, salt water, I just had a lady on that fishes out of South Carolina offshore quite a bit. so I try to cover everything. I kind of just by default end up covering a lot of bass and freshwater because that's what I do now. But also, you know, when I'm down in Florida, I end up having a lot of. Florida anglers. Every now and then I get a West Coast angler on the show. I'd love to get more, more of those. and also Colorado, that region of fly fishing. So tell everybody about the woman angler. You offer a ton of resources. How'd you, how'd you develop that format? Or did it [00:20:40] just evolve as you kept adding, offering? Yeah, it pretty much just evolved.  At the time when I had a six-month break in between careers, I had a lot more time on my hands to be able to offer more things. but now that I work full-time for Freedom Boat Club and fish Tournaments and put out episodes every week, that's kind of been my bandwidth. We've done a few events like we did, a Cape Cod striper fishing event, and then we've got a women's kayak fishing meetup coming up here on January 8th down here outside of Fort Myers that I'm co-hosting with Captain Debbie Hansen, who's down in this area. And that's gonna be a super fun event. But as far as that goes, I'm kind of limited on time to how much of that type of stuff I can do. Do you have any suggestions or advice for folks that want to get into competitive fishing? Yeah. See if there's a Team Trial that you can join and start that way. Start as an angler you don't have to jump in as a boat captain. Most tournament formats you have a pro that's in control of the boat. Then as an angler you know, if you're super confident with your boat skills, though, by all means, jump in as a boat captain There are advantages and disadvantages to both. I kind of jumped in as a boater a little faster than I think most people would because I have my captain's license Do you have a favorite piece of outdoor gear that costs under a hundred dollars? I love my Costa sunglasses and they just had a new, new model come out recently this fall called the Jose Pros. Do you have any favorite books? There's a book out that's pretty legendary. You may have heard of it, called The Four Agreements. And then, kind of on those same lines, there's another book I've been listening to. I think it's Awaken the Sleeping Giant. But my favorite book is a book called You Are A Badass by Jen Sincero.  Follow Up with Angie Website: That Woman Angler Podcast Instagram Facebook

On this week's episode of The Woman Angler & Adventurer Podcast, you will meet the Founder of the Freedom Waters Foundation, Debra Frenkel. The organization's mission is to enhance the lives of children, individuals with special needs, and veterans by providing therapeutic boat experiences. They've been at this for 17 years and have done just that through various programs, events, and fundraisers. They even work with Freedom Boat Club and their members to take participants out on the water! Hear all about it now and enjoy! Mentioned in This Episode: Freedom Waters Foundation Freedom Boat Club Additional Resources: The Woman Angler & Adventurer Facebook Page The Woman Angler & Adventurer Facebook Group The Woman Angler & Adventurer on Instagram The Woman Angler & Adventurer on YouTube Listen on Spotify Listen on Apple Podcasts (subscribe and leave a review!) Listen on Google Podcasts Listen on iHeartRadio!  Support Our Partners! Lance Camper Freedom Boat Club Nashville St. Croix Rods Al's Goldfish Lure Co. Hellwig Suspension Products Costa Del Mar Sunglasses Stealth Rod Holders Florida Heartbeat iBass360 YOLOtek (use Coupon Code Angie for a discount) Additional Mentions: Lady Bass Anglers Association National Professional Anglers Association Waypoint Outdoor Podcast Collective Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week's episode of The Woman Angler & Adventurer Podcast, you will meet the Founder of the Freedom Waters Foundation, Debra Frenkel. The organization's mission is to enhance the lives of children, individuals with special needs, and veterans by providing therapeutic boat experiences. They've been at this for 17 years and have done just that through various programs, events, and fundraisers. They even work with Freedom Boat Club and their members to take participants out on the water! Hear all about it now and enjoy! Mentioned in This Episode: Freedom Waters Foundation Freedom Boat Club Vote for The Woman Angler & Adventurer Podcast (ends at Midnight CST 1/31/22) Additional Resources: The Woman Angler & Adventurer Facebook Page The Woman Angler & Adventurer Facebook Group The Woman Angler & Adventurer on Instagram The Woman Angler & Adventurer on YouTube Listen on Spotify Listen on Apple Podcasts (subscribe and leave a review!) Listen on Google Podcasts Listen on iHeartRadio!  Support Our Partners! Lance Camper Freedom Boat Club Nashville St. Croix Rods Al's Goldfish Lure Co. Hellwig Suspension Products Costa Del Mar Sunglasses Stealth Rod Holders Florida Heartbeat iBass360 YOLOtek (use Coupon Code Angie for a discount) Additional Mentions: Lady Bass Anglers Association National Professional Anglers Association Waypoint Outdoor Podcast Collective

Angler Chronicles Radio Show (http://www.anglerchronicles.com/) Recorded: 11-26-22   Guests & Topics: Freedom Boat club Andrew Hard Fresh water report by Andrew and Tony Long Beach Sportfishing Steve Phelps   Join Sergio & the Crew: Ron Hobbs (AC Fishing Schools Instructor), Capt. Larry Moore and Tony Williams (Bite-On Fishing) every Saturday morning on Angler Chronicles from 5:00-7:00 AM PST on AM 830 KLAA. "LIVE" from Angel Stadium in Anaheim, CA ... Tune in or you can also join us “LIVE” on the web at: www.am830.net Angler Chronicles is the highest rated show in its time slot and one of the highest rated outdoor shows in the nation. Each week, the crew has a variety of guests who discuss topics ranging from bass and trout to all types of saltwater fishing. The crew, consisting of host Sergio Fainsztein, Ron Hobbs (Co-Director AC Fishing Schools), and Tony Williams (Bite-On Fish Attractants) are ready to offer their advice and expertise as well as to answer specific questions from the listeners. Expect to hear regular updates from sportfishing captains including Capt. Rick Scott (Ocean Odyssey), Capt. Chris Pica (Dana Wharf Sportfishing), Capt. Damon Davis (Davey's Locker Sportfishing), and Capt. Rick Oefinger (Marina Del Rey Sportfishing). You can also expect weekly reports on all local fresh and saltwater destinations.  

It may seem strange to think that someone would join both a yacht club and a boat club at that same time. But that's exactly what I did back in 2015. While I'm no longer a yacht club member I continue to enjoy getting out on the water via what I consider the best deal around. I'm very pleased to welcome https://sarasotastories.co/podcast/ (Nick Thomas), Director of Club Operations at https://www.freedomboatclub.com (Freedom Boat Club). In today's episode, Nick will share ... One thing most people don't know about Nick How FBC became the premier boating Club in the world What its recent purchase by Brunswick means for the FBC & members The incredible reciprocity benefits members receive across the country Who should consider joining FBC and where you can find out more ... and much much more! I appreciate so much that you'd spend your valuable time with us today. It is my hope that you will listen, learn and connect! https://www.facebook.com/freedomboatclub (Facebook) https://www.instagram.com/freedomboatclubworldwide/ (Instagram) https://twitter.com/FreedomBoatClub (Twitter) https://www.freedomboatclub.com/# (Find a Local Club)

On Episode 117: Winter Haven: A Little Slice of Heaven, we speak to Eddie, Waylon and Gigi with Freedom Boat Club. They share all about the perks of the club, the amazing stories from their members and why people come from all over to enjoy the Chain of Lakes.

Join me as I have a lively conversation with Pastor Jeff Birch, lead pastor of Lake Oconee Presbyterian Church. We'll talk about what led Jeff into the ministry, even though early in his life, that seemed an unlikely destination, yet some 30 years later, he still loves what he does! We discuss the reasons why, despite all of the advances in physical & mental health, we seem to be moving in the wrong direction. We'll talk about the direction of the modern church, what is going well and also what could be done better. And, a very important conversation on how to get the attention of our young people (and even not so young people), in a time when so many do not have any church affiliation. We discuss why, no matter what happens, there is always hope for a better tomorrow, provided we have a personal relationship with God. You'll learn about some of the good work that Lake Oconee Presbyterian Church is doing in the local community and some future plans. Want to know Jeff's favorite Bible verse? Or his favorite book, other than the obvious? You'll have to listen to the show! Of course, we'll also hear what "lured" Pastor Jeff and his wife Evie, to the lake! Want to connect with Jeff? Lake Oconee Presbyterian Church - https://www.lopc-pca.org/English as a Second Language - https://www.lopc-pca.org/events/event/91/esl-classes/2022-09-11 This Episode is sponsored by the Freedom Boat Club of Lake Oconee: https://www.freedomboatclub.com/franchises/luv-2-boat-inc/lake-oconee-ga.html This Episode is also sponsored by Lead the Lake: https://www.johncmaxwellgroup.com/robbieking

It's possible you don't know all that Brunswick encompasses, but you definitely know their brands like Sea Ray, Boston Whaler, Mercury, Freedom Boat Club, Navico and so many others. Brunswick is the kind of company that doesn't simply follow trends, they create them. That's why we were excited to sit down with CEO Dave Foulkes and talk about the future of our favorite pastime.

On this Northwest Florida Fishing Report, Joe talks red snapper rigs, member-only boat clubs, and fighting sharks with Saltsquatch. This week's fishing contributors are Capt. Delynn Sigler and Phil "Saltsquatch" Hollandsworth. Plus, Butch Thierry joins the show, and we talk with Russell Atkinson of Freedom Boat Club about the benefits of being a part of the world's oldest and largest membership boat club. Check Out Freedom Boat ClubWorld's oldest and largest membership boat club with access to 300+ locations in the US, Canada and Europe. 10% OFF AFTCO Products NWFFR has partnered with AFTCO, and we are offering all of our listeners 10% off AFTCO products. Text the word "fishing" to 647-558-9895 to subscribe to our email list, and we'll send you the promo code via email! This Report is Presented By: Angelo DePaola - The Coastal Connection - eXp Realty Sponsors: AFTCO Admiral Shellfish Company Boaters List Bajio Sunglasses L&M Marina United Bank Photonis MB Ranch King Blinds Hunting Exchange Fishing Chaos Buck's Island Hilton's Real-Time Navigator Test Calibration Dixie Supply / Baker Metal Works Fishbites Great Days Outdoors Killerdock

After graduating with his Master's degree in Accounting from BYU, Brent moved to Texas to work for Deloitte Tax in their Private Company Services group. Benefiting from exposure to hundreds of privately held businesses, he then decided to leave public accounting to pursue his new career in entrepreneurship. In 2017 he moved to Northern Virginia to start a Freedom Boat Club franchise. Within his 5 years at Freedom Boat Club he grew his business to be the 15th largest franchise by revenue, won the Pace Setter Club Award 4 times, and was nominated to Boating Industry Magazine's 40 under 40. Currently, he lives in Draper Utah and is the Founder and Managing Partner of Vizion Capital, a Micro PE firm focused on blue collar enterprises.--------------------------------------------------Contact Brent onLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brent-parker-93ba0746/If you'd like additional ways to support this podcast, you can become a patron here: https://www.patreon.com/bePatron?u=66340956----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Reach me to sell me your business, be on my podcast or just share some love:Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ronskelton/Twitter: https://twitter.com/ronaldskeltonFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/How2ExitInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/how2exitpodcast/Have suggestions, comments, or want to tell us about a business for sale call our hotline and leave a message: 918-641-4150----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Watch it on Youtube: https://youtu.be/S0YXCqQelrc----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Other interviews:Lane Carrick - serial entrepreneur and sold multiple businesses in his career: https://youtu.be/cAEGiqiieQwCarl Allen - M&A Expert with Over $47 billion in deals: https://youtu.be/VIU2Lqj_FY4Walker Deibel - the best-selling author of Buy Then Build: https://youtu.be/xoUH_IxeookMike Mausteller - Business Coach, Executive Coach, Trainer, and Speaker: https://youtu.be/yYLEAfafxWcSimon Bedard - Founder and CEO of Exit Advisory Group, M&A firm in Australia: https://youtu.be/obNiIbx5mJ0Kison Patel - CEO and Founder of DealRoom and and M&A Science Academy: https://youtu.be/VR4nSM8HT18--------------------------------------------------

Ca bouge dans l'industrie nautique. Retour sur les dernières nouvelles des professionnels de la plaisance. Les brèves du 10 juin 2022. 👉 Lire l'article et voir les photos. En savoir plus sur les sujets abordés dans cet épisode : La Rochelle Lagoon Navico Highfield Freedom Boat Club Parce qu'il n'a jamais été aussi important de se tenir informé des nouvelles tendances, de la vie des professionnels et des derniers développements de produits, BoatIndustry fournit un contenu journalistique indépendant afin d'apporter un éclairage indispensable aux acteurs, prescripteurs et décideurs de l'industrie du nautisme. Avec sa couverture globale de l'information, BoatIndustry est présent sur 4 secteurs : Les chantiers nautiques Les équipementiers et motoristes Les services, loueurs, la maintenance La filière, la réglementation et les événements Avec une diffusion en 5 langues (Français 🇫🇷, Anglais 🇺🇸, Allemand 🇩🇪, Italien 🇮🇹 et Espagnol 🇪🇸) et un lectorat reparti dans plus de 140 pays 🌍, BoatIndustry est considéré comme le média international essentiel de communication avec les chantiers nautiques, les fabricants d'équipements ainsi qu'avec les distributeurs et les concessionnaires. BoatIndustry est édité de concert avec le magazine Bateaux.com à destination des plaisanciers français 🇫🇷, qui se décline à l'international avec Boote.com pour l'allemand 🇩🇪, Boatsnews.com pour l'anglais 🇺🇸, Boatsnews.es pour l'espagnol 🇪🇸 et Boatsnews.it pour l'italien 🇮🇹. ✉️ N'hésitez pas à nous envoyer un commentaire ou une news en cliquant ici. 👉 Et n'oubliez pas de laisser 5 étoiles si l'information vous a plu 🙏.

Your Customers Want Self-Service, and Here's What You Need to Know about Why   You bend over backwards to provide helpful customer service. You look for the best team members, with the right attitude and aptitude to take care of your customers in every way.    What it means to “take care” of customers is changing. So, while a focus on customer service is a sound and proven strategy, it could be what your customers want most is for your employees to leave them alone. Customers would rather take care of themselves with self-service.   However, self-service isn't the only service that customers want. There are times when self-service doesn't work, and only having that option will create a bad experience.    In this episode, we discuss why people want self-service and what any company should consider when providing customers that option. We also talk about when self-service doesn't work and why—and those reasons might surprise you.    Key Ideas to Improve Your Customer Experience   Two stats caught our attention from consumer research company Attest's US Food and Beverage Report from July 2021.  The first was 72 percent of Gen-Z shoppers would rather use self-checkout at the grocery store, and the second was that 68 percent of all shoppers would rather try clothes and makeup online with the help of a virtual tool. Attest's research indicates that younger people like self-service for everyday interactions. It also suggests that shoppers of any age are pretty happy with online shopping for things that were traditionally in-person purchases.    Here are a few key moments in the discussion:   04:33  We start off the conversation by discussing if this is about wanting more or less human interaction or a generational thing. 07:56  Ryan shares the most important question to ask regarding making the move to a self-service channel (Hint: it's about customers). 12:24  Colin talks about how he uses self-service in his Freedom Boat Club membership and why he prefers booking flights online over talking to a company representative (Hint: It's because he's picky).    17:18  Ryan explains how customers wanting to be in control is a significant driver in a self-service preference, and why not everybody feels that way. 18:27  Ryan explains some of the psychology that is underneath these preferences and needs, as well as suggesting a summer reading assignment for our listeners that want to know more. 22:33  We get into the advice we have for firms regarding self-service for their experiences as well as what to avoid in those situations.         Please tell us how we are doing! Complete this short survey.    Customer Experience Information & Resources   LinkedIn recognizes Colin Shaw as one of the 'World's Top 150 Business Influencers.' As a result, he has 290,000 followers of his work. Shaw is Founder and CEO of Beyond Philosophy LLC, which helps organizations unlock growth by discovering customers' hidden, unmet needs that drive value ($). The Financial Times selected Beyond Philosophy as one of the best management consultancies for the last four years in a row. Follow Colin on LinkedIn and Twitter.   Click here to learn more about Professor Ryan Hamilton of Emory University.    Why Customers Buy: As an official "Influencer" on LinkedIn, Colin writes a regular newsletter on all things Customer Experience. Click here to join the other 35,000 subscribers.      How can we help? Click here to learn more about Beyond Philosophy's Suite of Services.

PJ Kurzweil, founder of PJ's SMID Cap Ideas, comes on the podcast to discuss his write up on Brunswick (BC). BC is a boat manufacturer, and PJ thinks they are too cheap and the market is missing how much more economically resilient the business is today than it was ~10 years ago.My BC notes: https://twitter.com/YetAnotherValue/status/1529822951016497153?s=20&t=lAssCowdwRLleeF1c1ZVEwPJ's BC write up: https://philippejkurzweil.substack.com/p/brunswick-corporation-1-pager-summary?r=1g9l5j&s=w&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=webChapters0:00 Intro3:25 BC overview5:15 What is PJ seeing in BC that the market's missing?8:50 Is BC about to run into COVID pull forward headwinds?13:25 Sizing the boat market16:20 BC's recession risk20:10 BC's P&A business and recurring revenue26:00 Capital allocation and M&A multiples30:20 BC's vertically integrated model: advantage or overblown?33:50 BC's Freedom Boat Club optionality38:45 Share buybacks and insider ownership42:30 BC's improving free cash flow45:15 Is BC bringing capacity on right as demand falls off?47:30 Interest rate, inflation, and financing risks51:15 Rising gas prices effect on boat demand54:20 Vontier (VNT) and closing thoughts

Deano and his family moved to Lake Oconee, from the Atlanta area, in 2012 with a goal of increasing their quality of life. While the lake was obviously a big attraction, what made the decision easy was Lake Oconee Academy. With children in school, education was a factor in making a decision to move to the area. It was a few years after moving here that Deano and his wife Heather, decided to "take the plunge" into business ownership and opening the Freedom Boat Club of Lake Oconee, a relatively new concept of boat ownership. Not having been a "boat guy", the decision and journey into the business has been both interesting and challenging. It has been a great, if unconventional ride, for them and the Boat Club is very well known in the Lake area. They have some interesting plans for the future of the Club as the area continues to grow rapidly and more residents are looking for boat ownership options. More information: www.freedomboatclub.com

Coalition plans 4-day commemoration in June to honor Asian American civil rights legacy; 9 arrested after Lansing auto plant heist leads police on I-96 chase; Freedom Boat Club on Lake St. Clair offers boat rentals for monthly fee: What to know and Steve Yzerman: Why Detroit Red Wings need a new coach - and more.

Wake up with us SUNDAYMORNINGS 7-9am on 92.7 The Van. This week, check out the newly owned and renovated The Wickwood Inn with General Manager @Jeff West! We'll also visit with @Daniel Defranco new Saugatuck Township Manager to find out what's new in the Township and @Thomas Armon from Freedom Boat Club of Michiana to teach about all the fun of being a boater and enjoying the water without the hassles of owning a boat. Excited about my special cohost, our previous producer and Host of WHTC Morning News, @Dan Evans! Going to be a great show to start your week off with all the great things happening on the Art Coast! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

KGMI's Dianna Hawryluk talks to Shawn Ottenbreit about a new boat club opening up in Bellingham.

Leanne Kosinski, Midwest regional marketing director for Freedom Boat Club, invites listeners to visit their booth and check out membership options at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Sports Show, March 10-13 at State Fair Park. (jssportsshow.com, freedomboatclub.com) Long-time member of the Wisconsin Conservation Congress and director of the Wisconsin Bowhunters Association Mike Brust offers advice for predator hunting, the topic of his seminars at the Open Season Sportsmans Expo, March 25-27 at Kalahari Resort in Wisconsin Dells. (openseasonsportsmansexpo.com) Wendy Gehlhoff, executive director of Florence County Economic Development, invites listeners to attend the third annual Keyes Peak Uphill Truck Drags, March 12. (exploreflorencecounty.com) Peggy Farrell, director of Becoming an Outdoors-Woman, announces four BOW learn to hunt turkeys events for novice hunters. (uwsp.edu) In the Madison Outdoors Report, McFarland guide Ron Barefield reports decent panfish action on the Madison chain and says fishing should keep improving over the next few weeks. (dsbait.com) Last chance to win tickets to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Sports Show (jssportsshow.com). To enter, call 414-297-7554 or email dsoradio@gmail.com. Mention the Sports Show and leave your name and number or email address.

Making boating easier. Frictionless operation. Lowering the barrier to entry. Reducing the average age of the new boater. These are all goals that are being accomplished through the development and introduction of new and exciting on-board technologies. Connectivity is a major part of some of the largest marine companies in the world including Yamaha and Brunswick. We are all so used to living connected lives and expect that the things we use will ‘play along'. Our cars, our security systems, our fridges, all of these and other IoT enabled devices that make our lives easier are ubiquitous at home and at work….and soon on the water. Siren Marine has been providing boaters with peace of mind by connecting the boater to their boat with real-time monitoring. They want you to spend less time worrying about your boat and more time enjoying it. I recently spoke with Alex Puskar, the National Sales Director for Siren. We have started experimenting with Siren on some of our Freedom Boat Club boats and Alex has been a tremendous resource in getting us set up. Alex is an ABYC Certified Marine Electrician, ABYC certified marine diesel Technician, and a NMEA certified Marine Electronics Installer. He knows his stuff and you can tell. We discussed how he grew up boating and fishing, connected boating and how it helps the user experience, advice for getting started in boating and some other ways in which the industry is appealing to the next generation of boaters. Oh yeah, and this conversation happened days before the HUGE announcement that Yamaha was acquiring Siren, so although that partnership is mentioned, Alex did a great job not blowing his cover and letting the cat out of the bag early. Enjoy!

It is an incredibly exciting time in the boating industry. We have seen two years of record sales, dealers are selling production slots because they can't get inventory fast enough, more Americans than ever are enjoying time on the water with family and friends, and the pace of innovation continues to accelerate which is providing a better and more frictionless boating experience. Within the innovation category, electric propulsion is experiencing an influx of investment, and new motor options are steadily hitting the market. General Motors recently invested $150 million into Pure Watercraft. ePropulsion just announced a Series B raise in the tens of millions of dollars. Arc electric boats has raised over $30 million with investors including actor Will Smith, music mogul Sean Combs, and NBA superstar Kevin Durant. Torqeedo continues to impress, recently winning METSTRADE's Boat Builders Award in collaboration with Groupe Beneteau's Excess brand and mobility technology company ZF. I enjoyed speaking recently with Ben Sorkin, founder of Flux Marine. Ben grew up boating on our home lake in upstate NY, Lake George, which has me even more excited about what he is doing. Ben has been able to merge his passion for boating with his passion for tinkering into an exciting start up career. After stints interning at Tesla and working full time designing electric systems at Navatek, plus a decade of planning and researching electric motors on his own, Ben co-founded Flux Marine with the goal of revolutionizing electric propulsion in the marine environment. It was a great time to catch up with Ben as he and his team recently took home two big awards at the Newport boat show, Best Green Product and the Best New Boating Operation, Maintenance or Safety Product. Ben and I discussed how he got his boating and fix-it start, the benefits and challenges of electric boating, we got into the weeds a bit about battery technology and talked about the power their outboards will be brining to the market. Full disclosure, I am an investor in Flux marine and will be purchasing one of their motors to use in our Freedom Boat Club fleet this coming year. Enjoy the conversation!

Opa! Karen & Traci have another amazing podcast with Father Constantine and Mary Freeth from The Greek Festival which is happening October 22nd through the 24th at Freedom Park in Camarillo, Dr. Tony has a few very important signs for you to look for in friends and family to make sure they are healthy & happy medically and spiritually, plus what better way to clear your head and have fun with family & friends than by having access to beautiful boats without the burden of ownership? Do it by joining The Freedom Boat Club, find out how with this party of a podcast from Karen & Traci!

Meet Ken Vollbrecht, General Manager of Freedom Boat Club in South Shore Harbour Marina. In this week's episode, Ken discusses the benefits of being a part of the member-based club and how the Bay Area is a boaters personal playground. Ken also talks about the different access and opportunities members have when it comes to trying different types of boats, his tips for someone who is looking into getting into boating and how this is a great steppingstone to seeing and getting involved in our area.

We talk with Andy Sutter, Freedom Boat Club, about how he was able to navigate COVID-19 and handle the sudden increase in boating interest brought on by the pandemic.

Sean Finally Got Invited on the Boat with Josh & Marissa! It was sure worth the wait for him as we took a Day Trip over to Egmont Key State Park, about 17 Miles from St. Pete! First we had lunch over at The Big Catch and the Grouper Sandwich did not disappoint! Egmont KeyAccessible only by boat, Egmont Key has a unique natural and cultural history, including a lighthouse that has stood since 1858. During the 19th century, the island served as a camp for captured Seminoles at the end of the Third Seminole War and was later occupied by the Union Navy during the Civil War.Interested in learning more about the Freedom Boat Club, Click the link below, they have over 20 locations in Tampa area alone!! Are you following us on IG??  Check out our highlight bubble all about our day on the water. https://www.instagram.com/permanent_vacation_project/ Freedom Boat ClubAre you following us on  IG??  Check out our highlight bubble all about our day on the water. https://www.instagram.com/permanent_vacation_project/Follow us on Twitter, https://twitter.com/pvpflorida11

The weather is warming up and that means boating season is here! Hey friends, welcome back to the podcast. In this episode we're talking about boating with the owner of Freedom Boat Club Lake Norman, Jeff Weir. Freedom Boat Club is the world's oldest and largest membership boat club with over 30 years of experience. Members have access to over 275 locations in the U.S., Canada, and France. Freedom Boat Club takes care of all the maintenance, cleaning, repairs, insurance, and storage. Fleets vary by location, but include bowriders, pontoons, fishing boats, deck boats, and wake boats.In this conversation, Jeff shares how he founded Freedom Boat Club Lake Norman, the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on his business, and he also shares some of the advantages a boat club offers compared to boat ownership. There are certainly pros and cons either way, and Jeff gives us an honest overview of what a boat club membership looks like.Thanks for joining us, friends. Enjoy the episode.Freedom Boat Club - Lake NormanLocal business and nonprofit shout-outs:Advanced Wealth Strategies - Douglas MarionBig Brothers Big SistersLake Norman MarinaBooks & Podcasts recommended:7 Habits of Highly Effective PeopleBy Stephen CoveyTractionBy Gino WickmanThe E MythBy Michael GerberHow I Built This (Podcast)Support the show (https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/epicjourneymedia)

If you've been following the show you've heard I'm changing up boats this year. Going with the Key West 230 Bay Reef to fish the Lady Bass Angler Association Tournaments, take Freedom Boat Club members out to fish, and more! While I absolutely loved my Qwest Pontoon, and will more than likely add a pontoon back into the mix down the road, I'm really excited about the opportunity to change things up and experience fishing from a center console. I recently had the opportunity to visit the Key West Headquarters located not in Key West, FL, but in Ridgeville, SC (which was a whole lot closer of a drive from Nashville, TN than it would have been to Key West!). It was amazing to see how these unsinkable boats are constructed. At the end of the tour, we met our very own 230 Bay Reef and she is a beauty!  From there we took her out on a local pond for a test run and got to see what she can do with that Yamaha 250 VMAX SHO pairing. Let me tell you, it takes off like a dream! I cannot wait for the rigging to get finished up at The Boat Locker in Nashville and to get her back out on the water! From there, I went back to the brand new Key West offices and sat down with Mike and Tom Marlowe to talk a little bit about Key West Boats, the 230 Bay Reef, and more. Side note: Follow Mike Marlowe as he embarks on the 2021 Skiff Challenge supporting Captains for Clean Water. This year, five boat companies will put their 18-foot skiffs and best teams to the ultimate endurance test, circumnavigating the 1,300 mile Florida peninsula in nearshore waters from state line to state line. Mentioned in this Episode: Key West Boats Follow Key West Boats on Instagram Key West Boats on Facebook Support our Sponsors! Lance Camper Freedom Boat Club Nashville The Boat Locker Key West Boats St. Croix Rods Hellwig Suspension Products RUNCL (10% OFF Discount Code: TWA10RUN) Stealth Rod Holders Al's Goldfish Lure Co. YOLOtek (use Coupon Code Angie for free shipping!) Additional Mentions: Lady Bass Anglers Association National Professional Anglers Association Waypoint Outdoor Podcast Collective Full show notes available at thewomanangler.com/175

If you've been following the show you've heard I'm changing up boats this year. Going with the Key West 230 Bay Reef to fish the Lady Bass Angler Association Tournaments, take Freedom Boat Club members out to fish, and more! While I absolutely loved my Qwest Pontoon, and will more than likely add a pontoon back into the mix down the road, I'm really excited about the opportunity to change things up and experience fishing from a center console. I recently had the opportunity to visit the Key West Headquarters located not in Key West, FL, but in Ridgeville, SC (which was a whole lot closer of a drive from Nashville, TN than it would have been to Key West!). It was amazing to see how these unsinkable boats are constructed. At the end of the tour, we met our very own 230 Bay Reef and she is a beauty!  From there we took her out on a local pond for a test run and got to see what she can do with that Yamaha 250 VMAX SHO pairing. Let me tell you, it takes off like a dream! I cannot wait for the rigging to get finished up at The Boat Locker in Nashville and to get her back out on the water! From there, I went back to the brand new Key West offices and sat down with Mike and Tom Marlowe to talk a little bit about Key West Boats, the 230 Bay Reef, and more. Side note: Follow Mike Marlowe as he embarks on the 2021 Skiff Challenge supporting Captains for Clean Water. This year, five boat companies will put their 18-foot skiffs and best teams to the ultimate endurance test, circumnavigating the 1,300 mile Florida peninsula in nearshore waters from state line to state line. Mentioned in this Episode: Key West Boats Follow Key West Boats on Instagram Key West Boats on Facebook Support our Sponsors! Lance Camper Freedom Boat Club Nashville The Boat Locker Key West Boats St. Croix Rods Hellwig Suspension Products RUNCL (10% OFF Discount Code: TWA10RUN) Stealth Rod Holders Al's Goldfish Lure Co. YOLOtek (use Coupon Code Angie for free shipping!) Additional Mentions: Lady Bass Anglers Association National Professional Anglers Association Waypoint Outdoor Podcast Collective Full show notes available at thewomanangler.com/175 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Matt O’Hara owns and operates Freedom Boat Club located at Queen Boat Co. on Lake George, New York, in the Adirondack region of the state, about 200 miles from New York City. As David Gee finds out in this edition of Boating Industry Insider, O’Hara didn’t aspire to be a boating business owner. In fact, he didn’t even grow up boating. He was introduced to Lake George, the "Queen of the American Lakes," with its 109 miles of shoreline and 300+ islands, through his wife Rebecca. And he learned about Freedom Boat Club when they became a client while he was working in advertising sales in Boston. As you will hear, when he and his wife found the opportunity in 2016 to combine Lake George with the chance to own their own business, they took it! And never looked back.

We kick it off with Andrew Hard from Freedom Boat Club. With Freedom, you enjoy a day on the water while they take care of the rest, including fueling, cleaning, maintenance and more. It’s boating made simple. Details at  https://www.freedomboatclub.com. Next we bring on Chef John McGannon. John operates Wildeats Enterprises, the industry leader in […] The post “Enjoy Life, Eat Well” Chef John McGannon appeared first on WebTalkRadio.net.

We kick it off with Andrew Hard from Freedom Boat Club. With Freedom, you enjoy a day on the water while they take care of the rest, including fueling, cleaning, maintenance and more. It’s boating made simple. Details at  https://www.freedomboatclub.com. Next we bring on Chef John McGannon. John operates Wildeats Enterprises, the industry leader in […] The post “Enjoy Life, Eat Well” Chef John McGannon appeared first on WebTalkRadio.net.

Boating is a fun activity, but it isn't an inherently safe activity. That's one of the 1st things we USCG Licensed Captains teach our new members at Freedom Boat Club. That also happens to be what the Sea Tow Foundation is all about! Boating can be safe AND fun! Established in 2007 by Sea Tow Founder Capt. Joe Frohnhoefer, their mission is to bring attention to the number of preventable boating-related injuries, deaths, and damage to property, that directly addresses prevention methods through education and awareness. On this week's episode of The Woman Angler & Adventurer podcast, I'm pleased to welcome the Sea Tow Foundation's Executive Director Gail Kulp to talk about a really important program offered by the foundation called the Life Jacket Loaner Program. Preventable deaths due to improper or non-usage of PFD's seem to be more prevalent than ever due to the high number of uneducated or inexperienced people turning to boating and other water-related activities.  Please listen to this episode and see how you can help spread awareness of the Life Jacket Loaner Program or even lend a hand yourself in your area! Mentioned in This Episode: Sea Tow Foundation Life Jacket Loaner Program Mustang Survival Episode of The Woman Angler & Adventurer Podcast Additional Resources: The Woman Angler & Adventurer Facebook Page The Woman Angler & Adventurer Facebook Group The Woman Angler & Adventurer on Instagram The Woman Angler & Adventurer Podcast Website Listen on Waypoint Outdoors Listen on Apple Podcasts (subscribe and leave a review!) Listen on Google Podcasts Listen on iHeartRadio!  NEW! Listen on Pandora online! The Insider Weekly is on a temporary hiatus as we navigate through summer but you can still get signed up so when it kicks back into gear you'll already be on board! Click here: Woman Angler & Adventurer Insider Weekly  Become a Patron! Full show notes for this episode are available at thewomanangler.com/146

Captain David Gibb & Andy Sutter, co-owners of Freedom Boat Club of Hampton Roads, discuss boat club membership options, franchise business ownership and community involvement.

Imagine if you had access to the largest fleet of boats in NORTH AMERICA? To me, that would mean you have the freedom to enjoy life! That's what Freedom Boat Club membership is all about. On this week's episode of The Woman Angler & Adventurer podcast, I visit with brand new Freedom Boat Club member and avid angler Lesley Smith. Lesley and her husband recently joined Freedom Boat Club in San Diego so they could take advantage of the two local clubs and go out on a boat and fish to their heart's content. But wait, there's more! The beauty of being a Freedom Boat Club member means they can travel throughout North America and make boat reservations at the well over 200 other club locations. When you consider the costs of boat ownership- pulling a trailer, maintenance, cleaning, storage, time, etc., etc., etc., membership in the club quickly becomes a no-brainer for some. On top of that, Freedom Boat Club provides unlimited training by U.S.C.G. Licensed Captains which is a huge benefit, especially if you're brand new to boating such as Lesley was. Lesley is awesome and I think you're going to greatly enjoy my conversation with her so be sure and listen in! Mentioned in this episode: Rip and Hopper's Adventure United Women on the Fly DUN Magazine Freedom Boat Club Freedom Boat Club Nashville Hobie Kayaks Follow Lesley Smith @TrailMix on Instagram  Connect with Lesley Smith on Facebook Additional Resources: The Woman Angler & Adventurer Facebook Page The Woman Angler & Adventurer Facebook Group The Woman Angler & Adventurer on Instagram The Woman Angler & Adventurer Podcast Website Listen on Waypoint Outdoors Listen on Apple Podcasts (subscribe and leave a review!) Listen on Google Podcasts Listen on iHeartRadio!  NEW! Listen on Pandora online! The Insider Weekly is on a temporary hiatus as I navigate through summer but you can still get signed up so when it kicks back into gear you'll already be on board! Click here: Woman Angler & Adventurer Insider Weekly  Become a Patron! Full episode notes can be found by going to thewomanangler.com/135

Imagine if you had access to the largest fleet of boats in NORTH AMERICA? To me, that would mean you have the freedom to enjoy life! That's what Freedom Boat Club membership is all about. On this week's episode of The Woman Angler & Adventurer podcast, I visit with brand new Freedom Boat Club member and avid angler Lesley Smith. Lesley and her husband recently joined Freedom Boat Club in San Diego so they could take advantage of the two local clubs and go out on a boat and fish to their heart's content. But wait, there's more! The beauty of being a Freedom Boat Club member means they can travel throughout North America and make boat reservations at the well over 200 other club locations. When you consider the costs of boat ownership- pulling a trailer, maintenance, cleaning, storage, time, etc., etc., etc., membership in the club quickly becomes a no-brainer for some. On top of that, Freedom Boat Club provides unlimited training by U.S.C.G. Licensed Captains which is a huge benefit, especially if you're brand new to boating such as Lesley was. Lesley is awesome and I think you're going to greatly enjoy my conversation with her so be sure and listen in! Mentioned in this episode: Rip and Hopper's Adventure United Women on the Fly DUN Magazine Freedom Boat Club Freedom Boat Club Nashville Hobie Kayaks Follow Lesley Smith @TrailMix on Instagram  Connect with Lesley Smith on Facebook Additional Resources: The Woman Angler & Adventurer Facebook Page The Woman Angler & Adventurer Facebook Group The Woman Angler & Adventurer on Instagram The Woman Angler & Adventurer Podcast Website Listen on Waypoint Outdoors Listen on Apple Podcasts (subscribe and leave a review!) Listen on Google Podcasts Listen on iHeartRadio!  NEW! Listen on Pandora online! The Insider Weekly is on a temporary hiatus as I navigate through summer but you can still get signed up so when it kicks back into gear you'll already be on board! Click here: Woman Angler & Adventurer Insider Weekly  Become a Patron! Full episode notes can be found by going to thewomanangler.com/135 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you want to quickly find large schools of feeding speckled trout (aka spotted sea trout), then you're going to love this episode. We head back out on a Freedom Boat Club boat (purposely with no trolling motor or anchor) to see just how many trout we can catch. Long story short, we caught trout until we were tired! Enjoy

Freedom Boat Club | Andy Sutter In this episode Navy Veteran Andy Sutton owner of Freedom Boat Club shares just how accesable and rewarding a membership is for the Freedom Boat Club.  We explore the history of the company and all they have to offer members.

Freedom Boat Club | Andy Sutter In this episode Navy Veteran Andy Sutton owner of Freedom Boat Club shares just how accesable and rewarding a membership is for the Freedom Boat Club.  We explore the history of the company and all they have to offer members.

We get this episode underway with Jim Krug. Jim is the Co-owner and Founder of Yellow Dog Fly Fishing Adventures based in Bozeman, Montana. Yellow Dog sends people all over the world for fishing vacations. You can choose from 225 lodges in 28 countries. Start at  https://www.yellowdogflyfishing.com. Next we chat with Andrew Hard from Freedom Boat Club. Freedom Boat … Read more about this episode...

Angler Chronicles Radio Show (http://www.anglerchronicles.com/)Recorded: 01-18-20 Guests & Topics:Fresh water report Tony Salt water report RonHookup Baits Chad Favorite colors and going to website and watch how to use New tv show Angler Chronicles Freedom Boat Club. Ben Seacrest sharing his thoughts and knowledge Join Sergio & the Crew: Ron Hobbs (AC Fishing Schools Instructor), Capt. Larry Moore and Tony Williams (Bite-On Fishing) every Saturday morning on Angler Chronicles from 5:00-7:00 AM PST on AM 830 KLAA. "LIVE" from Angel Stadium in Anaheim, CA ... Tune in or you can also join us “LIVE” on the web at: www.am830.net Angler Chronicles is the highest rated show in its time slot and one of the highest rated outdoor shows in the nation. Each week, the crew has a variety of guests who discuss topics ranging from bass and trout to all types of saltwater fishing. The crew, consisting of host Sergio Fainsztein, Ron Hobbs (Co-Director AC Fishing Schools), Capt. Larry Moore (Veteran Sportboat Captain) and Tony Williams (Bite-On Fish Attractants) are ready to offer their advice and expertise as well as to answer specific questions from the listeners. Expect to hear regular updates from sportfishing captains including Capt. Rick Scott (Ocean Odyssey), Capt. Chris Pica (Dana Wharf Sportfishing), Capt. Damon Davis (Davey’s Locker Sportfishing), and Capt. Rick Oefinger (Marina Del Rey Sportfishing). You can also expect weekly reports on all local fresh and saltwater destinations.  

Amazon, Google, Facebook….Brunswick. What do all these companies have in common you might ask? All will be exhibiting at the Consumer Electronics Show in January. While you don’t often see marine brands lumped in with these technology titans, Brunswick has made innovation a key focus as technology becomes a bigger and bigger part of boating. From launching an innovation lab in partnership with the University of Illinois, to leading the way in connected boating with Nautic-On, Brunswick has recognized that in order to continue growing boating participation, technology must play an important role. Lee Gordon has been able to combine his passion for the boating lifestyle with his skills as a communicator and storyteller honed from years as a journalist to take on the role of Director of Marine Public Relations and Communications for Brunswick Corporation. Lee Manages global public relations, communications and media activities to support all marine brands under the Brunswick portfolio including Mercury Marine, Brunswick's boat group and Business Acceleration division. Lee is in charge of communications for, it is safe to say, one of the largest marine companies in the world. Lee had a 15 year career as an Emmy nominated TV news/sports anchor for CBS and FOX, winning 25 Associated Press awards while covering some of the world's biggest events such as Hurricane Katrina, 9/11 and various Super Bowls. All the while, he took every opportunity he could to get out on boats after having great boating experiences growing up in Chicago. I recently had an opportunity to meet Lee, and to see him present, at our franchise conference as Brunswick purchased Freedom Boat Club this year, and after seeing him present I knew I had to have him on the show. He did not disappoint, as we talked about what got him into boating initially and the positive impact it has had on his life, fun stories from the boating industry life, some of the key Brunswick initiatives including presenting at the Consumer Electronics show, and more!  

Angler Chronicles Radio Show (http://www.anglerchronicles.com/)Recorded: 11-02-19 Guests & Topics:Fresh water report. Trout seasons is just about ready to take flight. Andrew MackCaptain Rick Scott. Ocean Odyssey Danny Jackson what’s on Angler Chronicles this week Special Guest Andrew Hard. Freedom Boat Club.Tuna still out there Join Sergio & the Crew: Ron Hobbs (AC Fishing Schools Instructor), Capt. Larry Moore and Tony Williams (Bite-On Fishing) every Saturday morning on Angler Chronicles from 5:00-7:00 AM PST on AM 830 KLAA. "LIVE" from Angel Stadium in Anaheim, CA ... Tune in or you can also join us “LIVE” on the web at: www.am830.net Angler Chronicles is the highest rated show in its time slot and one of the highest rated outdoor shows in the nation. Each week, the crew has a variety of guests who discuss topics ranging from bass and trout to all types of saltwater fishing. The crew, consisting of host Sergio Fainsztein, Ron Hobbs (Co-Director AC Fishing Schools), Capt. Larry Moore (Veteran Sportboat Captain) and Tony Williams (Bite-On Fish Attractants) are ready to offer their advice and expertise as well as to answer specific questions from the listeners. Expect to hear regular updates from sportfishing captains including Capt. Rick Scott (Ocean Odyssey), Capt. Chris Pica (Dana Wharf Sportfishing), Capt. Damon Davis (Davey’s Locker Sportfishing), and Capt. Rick Oefinger (Marina Del Rey Sportfishing). You can also expect weekly reports on all local fresh and saltwater destinations.  

John Henigin is in Cabo so host Frank Selby runs the show solo this week. Our first guest is Anthony Vasquez. Anthony is the Membership Executive for The Freedom Boat Club in Huntington Beach, California. When you join The Freedom Boat Club you get all the benefits of having a boat with none of the hassles. There are nearly 200 … Read more about this episode...

I first heard about Freedom Boat Club a couple years ago. A few of our Salt Strong members had sold their boats (after many years of frustration dealing with things breaking, long lines at boat ramps, etc) to join a boat club. I was skeptical at first, but the more I kept hearing about it, the more curious I became. Finally, I drove down to the local Freedom Boat Club here in Winter Haven, FL and asked for a tour. Here's what I discovered...

This episode is brought to you by Freedom Boat Club and National Office Systems On the Friday episode of The Commute, Beacon Project lead writer Amy Condon takes over for Editorial Page Editor Adam Van Brimmer and talks with Symbioscity principal Denise Grabowski on how urban planning affects the entire city of Savannah and more more! Read more about this issue of Beacon here. Subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts

This episode is brought to you by Freedom Boat Club and National Office Systems On the Monday episode of The Commute, Editorial Page Editor Adam Van Brimmer talks with Augusta University President Dr. Brooks Keel about how the Medical College of Georgia plans to help rural cities in Georgia and also incentives for medical students that in turn helps everyone. Subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts

This episode is brought to you by Freedom Boat Club and National Office Systems On the Monday episode of The Commute, Editorial Page Editor Adam Van Brimmer talks with City Talk columnist Bill Dawers on the upcoming groundbreaking for the new Savannah Arena. Dawers also touches on the upcoming municipal elections. On the back half, Van Brimmer talks with Tybee Marine Science Center board chair Cathy Sakas about the progress on the center moving to a new location on Tybee's north beach. Subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts

This episode is brought to you by Freedom Boat Club and National Office Systems On the Friday episode of The Commute, Editorial Page Editor Adam Van Brimmer talks with SMN executive editor Susan Catron on the aftermath of Hurricane Dorian and why we should continue to be prepared. On the back half, Sports Reporter Travis Jaudon previews both the Saturday's Georgia Southern Football game and Sunday's Savannah State Football game.   Subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts

This episode is brought to you by Freedom Boat Club and National Office Systems On the bonus Thursday episode of The Commute, Environmental Reporter Mary Landers talks with Savannah-based hazards researcher and founder of Enki Research Chuck Watson on the aftermath of Hurricane Dorian, including how much money was lost due to evacuation. Watson also touches on his frustration on how Hurricane Dorian was reported by the media and Gov. Brian Kemp.  Subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts Read more from Chuck here: http://www.enkiops.org/blog/

This episode is brought to you by Freedom Boat Club and National Office Systems Due to Hurricane Dorian, we will have an episode of The Commute daily this week. On the Wednesday episode of The Commute, Editorial Page Editor Adam Van Brimmer talks with Savannah Morning News staff Will Peebles, Deann Komanecky, and Susan Catron on what they've seen so far with Hurricane Dorian. The storm is expected to pass Savannah late Wednesday night to early morning Thursday, but the city has began to see some effects. Also in the discussion is Bluffton Today editor Lawrence Conneff, who discusses what they are expecting on the South Carolina side and previous hurricanes that have affected the area.  Subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts

This episode is brought to you by Freedom Boat Club and National Office Systems Due to Hurricane Dorian, we will have an episode of The Commute daily this week. On the Monday episode of The Commute, Editorial Page Editor Adam Van Brimmer talks with Chatham Emergency Services CEO Chuck Kearns on how they have prepared for Hurricane Dorian and how they will respond. On the back half, SMN multimedia editor Zach Dennis previews the Toronto Film Festival and what movies to be on the lookout for, including one that shot scenes in Savannah.  Subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts

John Henigin is fishing in Alaska this week so Frank Selby takes the helm. The show opens with Freedom Boat Club. We get Chief Operating Officer Louis Chemi on the line along with Andrew Hard from the Huntington Beach Club. Freedom Boat Club is such a sweet deal. Gotta go to  https://freedomboatclub.com. Up next it’s Jason “JB” Balogh from … Read more about this episode...

Accounting is one of the most intimidating and most often mismanaged parts of many businesses. Shawn Ottenbreit, former CFO of the marketing division of Hewlett-Packard - and current franchise owner of the Freedom Boat Club, shares some accounting tips for business owners who don't have an accounting background. Shawn also talks about his experience going from a fortune 100 company to running his own small business. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/gysb/message

This episode is brought to you by Freedom Boat Club and National Office Systems On the Monday episode of The Commute, Savannah Morning News Editorial Page Editor Adam Van Brimmer speaks with Kevin Jackson about UGA naming Sanford Stadium after coaching legend Vince Dooley. Follow Adam on Twitter at @SavannahOpinion Subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts

This episode is brought to you by Freedom Boat Club and National Office Systems On the Monday episode of The Commute, Savannah Morning News Editorial Page Editor Adam Van Brimmer speaks with Kevin Jackson about UGA naming Sanford Stadium after coaching legend Vince Dooley. Follow Adam on Twitter at @SavannahOpinion Subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts

Matt Putnam is a founding partner and Managing Director of the Leisure Property Advisors. He specializes in the sale of marina, golf and leisure properties throughout the United States and Canada. Prior to becoming a broker, he served as the financial analyst and marketing coordinator for the National Golf and Resort Properties Group for two years. Matt has held an active real estate license since 2006 and been in the Leisure Properties industry since 2009. In addition to investment sales, Matt and his team focus on building advisory relationships with clients and routinely provide market research, financial analysis and management best practices at every point through the property ownership life cycle. Matt has served a wide range of clientele from single property owner-users to $100B pension funds and everything in between. Matt has been a part of transacting more than 40 leisure properties since 2011. Matt served as the national marina director at Marcus & Millichap and was an integral part of launching and building the marina division there.  Matt grew up in Florida on and around the water starting boating and fishing from a young age with his grandparents. Matt’s had lots of experience owning his own boat and as a Freedom Boat Club member and still gets out on the water and makes it a big part of his family’s life with his wife and his daughter. Matt and I talked about his experience growing up around the water, how he got into leisure properties, some really great insight into what’s going on in the marina ownership world, and most importantly for boaters, advice on how to pick a marina and what to look for when you’re deciding on where to keep your boat. Growing up in Florida….. I am in Tampa and I’ve lived my whole life in Florida. I grew up in Dunedin, on the water on the west coast. I grew up with an appreciation for the water. My grandparents grew up in Englewood and we did a lot of fishing and boating and developed an appreciation for the water early on. As far back as I can remember I was fishing at the dock at my grandparent’s house. My grandpa had two boats so we would go fishing regularly and if I wasn’t on the boat I was on the dock or the seawall fishing. They also had a home up on Saginaw Bay and we spent a lot of summer time there in the water and on the water. I didn’t start fishing in the area I live until early high school when some of my friends started to have access to parents’ boats so I’ve been fishing in this area about 20 years. Learning to drive the boat….. We had a couple experiences here and there from a pretty young age but it didn’t always go well. My grandparents lived in a canal and there was always the prospect of turning a boat around in a tight space. I remember trying to help my grandpa do that on a couple occasions that always ended with him taking the wheel and setting the boat back in the right direction. Owning a boat….. My first experience with my own boat was once I moved back here from the Panhandle. I tease my wife, we had dated for quite a while and I bought my first boat before I bought her engagement ring so that was the tone that I set and she always teases me about that. We had a Maverick flats boat that we spent a lot of time fishing here locally and trailering down to the Keys for lobster season and to fish and dive down there. The family boating lifestyle….. My wife didn’t grow up boating in the capacity that I did but she took to it from early on in our relationship. She loves being on the water. We’ve got a four-year-old little girl that now has the same affinity for being on the water whether it’s fishing or just cruising out to an island and spending time in and around the water. And our dog is the same, he loves to be on the boat as well. Joining Freedom Boat Club….. We sold our boat when we were pregnant. It was a flats boat, very low to the water gunwales and we didn’t want a toddler moving around on a boat that didn’t offer a whole lot of protection. We sold it with the idea that we would get a bigger boat and life got in the way. Earlier this year we finally said - we're sick of not being on the water in the capacity that we're used to and we love doing - so we joined Freedom Boat Club and we’ve gotten a heck of a lot of use out of it, both personally and I’ve gotten to use it for business. A typical day on the water….. Our day out on the water consists of fishing for a couple of hours, probably boating to a restaurant to grab lunch, and then spending time on our barrier islands here. I’ve got a friend of mine who owns a charter fishing business down here so the more serious fishing is done with him. We go offshore so we’re typically targeting grouper or snapper and every once in awhile we'll catch a cobia or kingfish. Current state of the ‘hot’ marina market….. These generational assets that have been in families for multiple generations and for whatever reason the next generation doesn’t have the interest, passion, or desire to take over the family business, we see that a lot. And there are a couple of big groups that are very well capitalized buying marinas in scale trying to execute on a business plan. You’ve got this top down consolidation, two or three big groups out there actively acquiring marinas. And it’s just like anything else. Once people see these big firms going after a product type, it becomes more desirable to them as well. At the end of the day, worst case scenario in a lot of cases, you end up with waterfront property! Helping marina owners….. We are a true full-service real estate firm. That means we’ve got folks that focus solely on debt and equity, we’ve got a valuation team that does appraisals, project management, all the way through the gauntlet of an ownership period. We’ve tried to position ourselves to add value through that whole period. Marina industry trends….. I see the marina space trying to transition to more of a country club type atmosphere. People don’t want to just show up, get on their boat and never interact with anybody. A lot of times it’s folks bringing clients to the marina and they want that high level of service, they want their boat to be gassed up, they want ice, they want the dockhand to know their name. Beyond that, having other service lines gives somebody a reason to store their boat at a particular location. Investors often times are looking at a marina and thinking – what else can I do here? Marina owners are looking at how they can get more potential boaters to their property. Helping boaters choose a marina….. You want to look at the age and condition of the facility. If you're going into a dry stack, age and condition of the forklift. You don’t want an old beat up fork lift that could scratch and ding your boat. Same thing goes for wet slip marinas. Old beat up docks can beat up your boat pretty quick. And then it's just, how is it staffed, what is the level of service. Those things are pretty easy to tell just walking in, talking to people behind the desk. Then it's - what comes with storing my boat here, when you pull it out of the water, are you going to flush the engine and hose it down. What hours are you available to put my boat in and take it out. Advice for boaters or aspiring boaters….. The best piece of advice that I’ve ever received is just take it slow. Boats don’t have brakes so trying to do anything too quickly generally works out pretty poorly. And be open to constructive criticism. The people that I see pick it up the quickest and become the safest boaters are the ones who are willing to learn and take advice from people who have been doing it a long time.  

Ever dreamed of owning a boat, but never quite ready to take the plunge? We have the answer for you! Gunnar Graves of Freedom Boat Club talks about his new venture in the boat franchising company. Similar to purchasing a timeshare in a condo, you can now do the equivalent with a boat. House on the Ohio River with other locations across the United States, this new franchise is making waves in Cincinnati.

Hour One John Henigin and Co-Host Frank Selby welcome Gracie from Dream Maker Charter in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Gracie operates Gricelda’s Smokehouse, the only licensed smokehouse in Cabo. Find out more at dreammakercharter.com . Up next is Scott Brown with Chrysler Motors. Scott talks about the new 2018 incredible RAM trucks, Jeeps, Alpha Romeos […]

Nathan Heber is the Founder and CEO of Boatyard, the world's first on-demand marketplace for recreational boating. The Boatyard app makes it easy for boaters to find and book qualified marine professionals for services ranging from fuel delivery to cleaning to captaining a boat. Boatyard also has a B2B application. Boatyard for Business provides marine professionals with an easy-to-use platform for automating their admin tasks, while helping them to deliver remarkable customer service experiences to their boat owners.  Nathan grew up in Miami Beach and has been boating since he was a child. Later in life, he took up sailing and has been hooked ever since. An avid kite surfer, Nathan has found that being on and around the water is an invaluable component of a happy life for him and his family. We discussed his sailing adventures, the founding of boatyard and how it helps both boaters and marine professionals, ways to make the boating lifestyle accessible, and much more. Enjoy! On growing up in Miami Beach…..You grow up on boats. I’ve been boating my entire life. Seven years ago my wife bought me sailing lessons and I’ve been sailing ever since. On learning to boat and sail.....I was probably too young to remember how I learned to boat. Sailing has a lot more components. Understanding angles of wind and all the technical stuff that goes into learning to sail, I’d have to say learning to sail is harder. We took a private lesson, just me and my wife and the teacher He was an Olympic hopeful who teaches out of 79th Street in Miami. We took 10 or 12 hours with him and then we could pay him to have access to the sailboats and jump on whenever we wanted. On the inspiration for Boatyard.com.....In a way, it started when I was a kid because I’ve been hearing about this pain point my entire life. The sailing lessons led to a series of events that led to the creation of Boatyard. We were taking a trip to the BVI and jokingly she said, "Why don’t we just sail down there.?" It was an off-season time and they agreed to do a short, bareboat charter for us. The two of us went island to island and had the greatest adventure of our lives. When we came back we wanted to rent that same sailboat and it was $800 a day. We thought, if our neighbors knew that we were responsible professionals who were certified sailors I’m sure they would let us rent it for less. But at the time there was no mechanism to do that. I set out to build a peer-to-peer marketplace. I was in an accelerator to do that and kept hearing from our boat owners what a pain it was to service their boats and I saw this big opportunity that wasn’t being tapped. So we pivoted the business and that’s how Boatyard was created. On solving boat owner's biggest headache.....When we originally launched, boat owners were really resigned to word of mouth or google searches to find the providers to service their boats. There’s the old joke the best two days of a boat owner’s life are the day they buy it and the day they sell it and a lot of that has to do with what a pain it is in between to find qualified guys who will show up on time. They’re out there but the average boater has to sift through and find those people that they can trust. We looked at that and said, if we could create a marketplace where we aggregated the best providers we could find and then gave boat owners a really simple user interface where they could place a request and get a qualified service provider, and have a really great experience, we thought we could change the way boat services are ordered.  On what boaters use Boatyard for.....The most popular are fuel and boat washing. We’ve been able to expand our service offering to mechanical service, captains, boating lessons, on water help with Sea Tow and a number of other services. On the reception among boaters.....You have people who are forward thinking and progressive about technology and those people really buy into it. It’s a challenge to get people who aren’t forward thinking to try it but once they do they continue to come back. 80% of our orders come from someone who has ordered from us before. On the reception among marine professionals.....Currently, they don’t really have a great place to put marketing dollars where they’re gonna generate a good ROI. With us, the fees we take are far less than the cost of acquisition for attaining those same customers. In addition to that, they don’t pay us until they make money. We’ve had great experiences and great luck finding amazing providers that are very forward thinking and willing to provide this high level of service that we demand for our users. We’ve even had some customers tell us we’re the reason they didn’t close. On finding qualified service providers.....It’s a challenge across the whole industry. It’s hard for me to understand why that’s happening in such a big way. Boating and boat services is one of those industries where it truly needs a skilled labor set, where having that job can provide someone with a comfortable middle-class lifestyle or more. Some of it comes down to messaging. Letting kids know who are coming out of school or who are in other technical schools about the great opportunities there are in the boat services industry. On helping marine businesses grow.....We’ve recently launched a new platform called Boatyard for Business. It’s a B2B SaaS platform that helps marine professionals manage their service requests. They can basically run their whole business off it. It takes all the admin duties that take up a lot of time and keep the smaller shops from growing and allows them to get it through Boatyard for a small monthly fee. On getting new boaters into the industry.....It's great what you guys are doing with Freedom Boat Club, the launch of all the peer-to-peer boat sharing platforms, Boatsetter, Boatbound, Sailo, and then companies like Dockwa that make it easy to book dockage with the click of a button. One of the biggest things we can do is make boating more accessible which is happening but also just getting more people on the water. We all know it’s not the boat that makes you happy, it’s the experiences that you have. On misconceptions about the boating lifestyle.....Still, a lot of people think that boating is for wealthy people, that it’s intimidating, that it’s not accessible. By having boat clubs and peer to peer and all the tech to make it easier to use the boat, I think that’s going to go a long way towards introducing a lot more people to boating. At Boatyard we think that when you own a boat it shouldn’t be a hassle. You shouldn’t spend your free time fixing it, you should be spending your free time on the water and we’re trying to solve that pain point. On the changing demands of marine customers.....Millennials prize access over ownership. There’s a whole significant portion of our business that comes to us because there’s no one else to talk to. Close to 40% of our orders are placed between 5pm and 9am or over the weekend. I think it’s really important to be able to transact 24 hours a day and make it really easy for customers to connect with you. Customers are having much higher standards as far as customer service goes. If the marine businesses are not doing it now, they’re going to have to in order to make customers happy. On how boating can drive happiness.....They’ve done a ton of studies on what drives true happiness and it all came down to experiences. When you’re planning an experience, you have all the excitement leading up to it, then you have the time on the water, then you get to look back on it fondly. That’s what drives true happiness. That’s what we all need to work on – how to enable more people to have these remarkable experiences on the water. On learning to kitesurf.....I picked it up because I couldn’t sail and boat as much. I couldn’t make a whole day of boating but I could throw the gear in the car, set up, go kiting and come home. Last year was the first time I went kiting off a boat and that was spectacular. I’m a pretty good snowboarder and I surf and it still took me 10 hours to pick up. No matter what, it takes some commitment. Once you learn it you can get much better much quicker. The best thing to do is get a little trainer kite and fly it on the beach. Once you get the kite control down, you can pick up the board part fairly quickly. I have a 9-meter kite, a 12-meter kite, and a 15-meter kite for the light winds. The next thing I want to get into is to learn how to foil. On advice for would-be boaters.....It can fundamentally change your life. When we learned how to sail it gave us something we could enjoy together for the rest of our lives. You’re out there, you’re enjoying the elements. And it opens up a world of new experiences you can have. You can go to new parts of the world and have this incredible experience with this incredible perspective that not everyone can have.   It was so great and uplifting speaking with Nathan. He truly believes that boating and being on the water can lead to a happy life and incredible experiences you will never forget, and is working tirelessly to make those experiences easier to come by. Check out Boatyard and keep an eye out for it in an area near you soon! 

Wanda Kenton Smith has worked in the boating industry since 1980. A journalist, she launched her career as editor of Water Ski and Windsurf magazines, and later worked as editor on additional trade titles in both the sailing and watersports sectors. She also has served as the marketing columnist for Soundings Trade Only since 1998, a post she still holds today. Wanda previously served as vice president of marketing for Regal Boats for 11 years prior to launching her own award-winning, full service advertising and PR firm for 13 years that serviced more than 35 global and national marine accounts. Today, Wanda serves as chief marketing officer of Freedom Boat Club, continues to consult on select accounts, speaks at industry events and is active in several marine industry initiatives. She is president of Kenton Smith Marketing, president of Marine Marketers of America and chairperson of the RBLC’s New Market Task Force.  She also is the event producer and publicist of Boaterz n Bikerz of America: Hull of a Tour.   On her first boating experiences.....When I was in middle school, my oldest brother purchased and refurbished a 19’ wooden sailboat and my family and I spent a lot of time on that sailboat on the river and local waterways. He had boated when he was younger and had always wanted to have access to a boat. I was obviously the fortunate one to enjoy the benefits of that. My brother and my dad taught me to sail when I was younger but I took a Coast Guard class years later when I was working at Regal Marine and I never looked back. That was a turning point.   On boating in her adult life.....We have owned five boats in my adult life. We had two Regals, a bowrider and a deckboat. My favorite boat that I have ever owned was the very first Super Air Nautique, when the whole wakeboard industry started. We were the kings of the lake and the envy of all of my daughter’s friends. We took them boating and wakeboarding every chance that they got. We also had a Hunter sailboat and a Scout dual console. I now have access to over 500 boats through the SW Florida Freedom Boat Clubs.   On her current boating lifestyle.....Now we like to get out and cruise. Go to waterfront restaurants. We really like going picnicking, finding sandy beaches and trying different locations.   On favorite boating destinations.....Two locations come to mind. The first is Italy. I had the opportunity to go boating in Portofino and Lake Como. It was absolutely spectacular. The second place is the Bahamas. Totally love that turquoise blue water and be able to snorkel and see all that fabulous sea life.   On starting in the industry.....I just got lucky. I was working in Miami and we had moved to Orlando and a friend of mine knew a guy who was advertising for an editor for Water Ski Magazine. I jumped all over it. Terry Snow was the publisher of the magazine and he took a chance on somebody pretty green and helped me launch my career. I went on from Water Ski to launch Windsurf magazine and then to edit Waterski Business, and then got into the agency side of my business.   On championing women in boating.....It was late in the 1980s and I was working for Regal Boats in charge of marketing Part of my assignment was to do competitive research. I went down to the Miami Boat Show to go and visit 25 different booths and to get information on products. I walked away with some interesting insight. First of all, nobody asked if I need any help. Sales guys wouldn’t give me the time of day. From a marketing research perspective that was fantastic. It struck me that no one at any of the booths took me seriously as a buyer. I started a conversation about it in the trade press and wrote a column about it. I went on to launch a training firm that I called Marine Marketing for Women. All told, I had the opportunity to personally train over 4,000 people! I feel like it was an important step in educating the industry about the buying power and the influence that women have in the industry.   On Freedom Boating Divas.....We launched Freedom Boating Divas for female members of the club. Our goal with the program is to make our female members feel more safe and competent at the helm and to provide opportunities to meet other women who share the same passion for boating. Here in Southwest Florida, we offer free unlimited training classes exclusively for the ladies that we schedule twice a month in different locations. The second part of that is the social part. By hosting social events exclusively for the divas they have the opportunity to meet with and mingle with other women who share the same boating DNA and passion.    On engaging new markets.....The RBLC was organized several years ago with the primary purpose of growing the boating industry. I chair the new markets task force. We had a VIP influencers group that represent different ethnicities and our task force addresses opportunities to engage new and diverse audiences to boating. Ultimately, our goal is to promote engagement. We are focused on three markets – all affluent Hispanic, Asian, and African-American markets. We produced an award-winning educational module that includes latest demographic and economic trends and the highlight is five outstanding case studies with best practices from boating companies who are successfully engaging and selling to these markets. All of the information and the webinar is available for free from download at the RBLC.org website.   On Boaterz n Bikerz of America: Hull of a Tour..... It originated from a conversation between myself and Jim Krueger. We were chatting one day during a ride and we talked about our bucket list and we both agreed that our number one bucket list trip would be doing a cross country ride from FL to CA. We planned it and thought it would be fun to mix in some boating activities and decided to invite others in the industry and our friends who also love boating and biking.   On the connection between boaters and bikers.....It’s a fact. I was at the National Sailing conference a few weeks ago and Bonnier shared some statistics – 18% of people who sail are also active motorcycle enthusiasts. There’s such a definite lifestyle crossover. Those of us who like to motorcycle and like to boat like that sense of freedom, that sense of adventure and escape that those lifestyle sports deliver.    On past tours.....It was 3,000 miles. We went from Destin, FL to San Diego. We rode the flatlands, through the scorching dessert mountains, we stopped at the Grand Canyon, plenty of spectacular coastlines, we experienced extreme heat, snow, rain, hail, thunder. It was amazing. We started at Legendary Marine at the yacht club, we had a sunset cruise in Texas aboard a 90’ party boat. And then we had a 2 ½ hour splash down in San Diego Bay aboard a brand new Beneteau poweryacht and sailboat. Our second Tour was the Freedom Ride. It went from Florida to Washington DC. We folded into the million bike extravaganza called Rolling Thunder that’s held Memorial Day in DC and it pays tribute to MIAs and POWs. We got to ride all the way down to the national Mall with veterans. It was a very touching and moving experience for all of us. We stopped at 5 different freedom boat clubs en route. In Annapolis we had an opportunity to board 7 different boats and watch a command performance of the Blue Angels. We had the Pacific Coast Rush. We shipped our bikes to Seattle and we rode down to San Francisco and took a loop out to Big Sur. We launched it at Alexander Marine with Regal Boats and did a launch party on a 78’ Ocean Alexander Yacht. Our splashdown was in San Francisco. We did a sunset sail aboard a large sailing Catamaran. The trip took us through the Glacier National Park. We cruised all the way down Pacific Coast Highway. We rode through the giant redwoods, literally through the trees. And we loved the twisting mountain ride of Big Sur and Monterey. It’s just moments that you’ll never forget, absolutely phenomenal.   On the 2017 Lobster Roll.....The event is July 15th-22nd. We’re starting in Portland and ride the Maine coast to Canada. We twist through the white mountains in New Hampshire. We make a stop at Cape Cod and then we splashdown in Newport, RI. For those of us who are bikers, we don’t like the typical tourist traps. We’re staying in some quaint small towns. We’re going to go whale watching, we’ll be tubing, lots of fun things getting off the beaten path.   On the importance of sponsors.....Freedom Boat Club is back as our title sponsor. Regal Boats is our boating sponsor. Soundings Trade Only is our media sponsor and I will be writing a blog which will be appearing every day of the tour. Sea Tow is sponsoring our chase vehicle so if we have any breakdowns they come and get us. BRP Evinrude is our power sponsor. Moose Landing is going to be hosting our launch party and two Freedom Boat Clubs are going to be participating with boat rides and Kenton Smith Marketing handles the publicity.   On how to participate.....You have to have a motorcycle license and we do require group riding experience but there is no cost to participate. I have a hotel planner with our discounted group rates. If anyone is interested about getting more information they can email me at wanda@kentonsmithmarketing.com or visit www.kentonsmithmarketing.com   On advice for getting into the industry.....It makes sense to talk to people in the industry. There is a lot of opportunity right now for technicians and people working on the service side. Find people who are willing to talk to you about what they do and what they enjoy most. If you’re a passionate boater and you love the water and want to be part of a dynamic industry, this is a great place to drop anchor. We have great people and sell fantastic products and are selling fun. I can’t think of anything else that’s more fulfilling and rewarding than this!

Episodes 6-10 featured a wide range of boating experts and industry people: Betty Bauman, Founder/CEO of Ladies Let’s Go Fishing; Dan DeGeorge, VP of Sales for Docka; Stephanie Vatalaro, VP of Communications, Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation; Diane Seltzer, Marketing Director, SureShade, Founder/Editor myboatlife.com and boaterkids.com; and Kristen Frohnhoefer, President of SeaTow International.   Safety: With the timing of these episodes falling around National Boat Safety Week, we touched on a lot of safety issues. Kristen and the SeaTow Foundation are working hard to promote the Designate a Sober Skipper Campaign and National Safe Boating Week. National Safe Boating Week is the kick off week but safe boating is a year-long effort. Freedom Boat Club participated in a national PFD awareness effort. Diane and I discussed raising safe boating children and that starts with getting them accustomed to wearing their lifejackets as soon as they step on the dock. Start the good habits young! We also talked about the importance of Sun Safety and the industry collaborative called Sun Safe Boating. This can often be overlooked but is an incredibly important aspect of safe boating.  Many of our guests took the boat safety courses as children and Stephanie was no different, her father required it!   Getting Started: Diane was not a boater as a child, but was hooked after a weekend trip on a sailboat in Rock Hall, Maryland. Soon after, she bought her first boat with her now husband, but then boyfriend. His initial training came from reading everything he could get his hands on and still carries that book knowledge with him on the water today. Kristen, on the other hand, has been boating since just about birth. She too was required to take a boating safety course and learned how to sail and operate power boats. Much of her childhood was spent out on the sailboat, sailing over to Newport or Essex, spending the night in Block Island, or just rafting up with friends. I remember those great days out with the family. Stephanie was boating as a young child on Lake Erie, until at age 7 they relocated to eh Florida Keys and her father became a fishing guide! Dan’s family rented boats at their summer getaway on Lake George before purchasing their own, and his father taught him how to boat. Betty also loved boating growing up but got more serious about it after getting a job with Wellcraft doing their marketing. That’s where she also learned to fish, figuring after working some tournaments she needed to know a little something about it!   Favorite things to do: Betty loves to fish in the Florida Keys, Chokoloskee, which I call the Jurassic Park of fishing, and the Bahamas. Stephanie and her family go out on their 24’ Pursuit center console for a day of fishing or going to the beach. Kristen spends her time on the water rafting up with friends, taking a ride around Shelter Island or Sag Harbor, or going out with her niece and nephew beaching the boat, watching them swim in the water and jump off the boat. Diane is on the Chesapeake Bay - a beautiful, enormous body of water that stretches from Maryland down to Virginia. She says you could spend a lifetime boating on the Chesapeake Bay and exploring it all. Dan still likes to come to Lake George to cliff jump and do watersports with his Dockwa team.   Important for Beginners: Kristen says make sure you do have a cooler full of water and some snacks because you never know how long you’re gonna be out there. You might want to bring an extra jacket in case you get stuck a little bit later. Stephanie suggests, More than a thing,  is do the training beforehand. Before you go out on the water understand the rules of the road, navigation basics, how to read a chart or GPS. If there’s a chance to do a training or do a trial take it! Betty wants to make sure you get the right rod and reel. Learn what’s conventional, what’s spinning, what kind of reel you need for the fishing you want to do. For boating it’s what kind of boat do you want, what kind of boat suits you. Visit your local tackle shop and they will point you in the right direction for the fish you want! Discoverboating.com comes up with almost every guest. It’s a great place to start the research process and find out what type of boating – buying, renting, or boat clubs – is best for you and what type of boat fits your lifestyle.   Random Notes and Quotes: Betty: I realized if I had a place I could go without him where I could learn the theory, and use the equipment, tie the knots, have a chance to practice, and then go out on the water and practice my skills on the environment then I would be a better part of the fishing team. I get the feedback that we changed their lives. They were wanting to be fishing and once they took this they had the courage to go out and challenge the sport and find ways to go fishing.  Don’t be afraid of your fishing mistakes. Use them as a way to learn. Practice is king. The more you practice, the more you go fishing, the better you’re going to be.   Dan: He was watching the dockmaster run around back and forth between docks and writing reservations in a notebook and walked up and asked the dockmaster about how he takes reservations. The dockmaster said it’s the way we’ve always done it, it’s an old school industry. There’s a lot of room for us to help these marinas and operators get more efficient and create a better experience for the boater. Boaters love it because they’re used to it in other industries. They can go online or on their phone and make a hotel reservation or an airline reservation, so it only makes sense that you should be able to do it for marinas and for boating.    Stephanie: If you look at fishing participation numbers they have been pretty flat over the last several years and with the changing demographics, in order to even maintain that flat rate a lot of change has to be made. What we really need to do is energize the industry to get that number even higher, to get on the front end of these changes and try to make that difference now. It’s a rallying cry for the industry. Let’s do this together. We run an influencer campaign that speaks to that millennial target. [Their challenges] are time, it’s not having the mentor or the experience and not knowing that these opportunities are very close to them. A lot of younger generations are moving back to the city and they don’t realize that there are a lot of urban fishing and boating opportunities.   Diane: Eight years ago SureShade debuted on its first boat with the Boston Whaler 370 Outrage. They were relative newcomers to the boating industry, came up with this product, invented it, patented it, brought it to the industry at IBEX and within two years got their first factory install. Fast forward eight years and we have 100 different boat models that offer it as a factory option or standard feature and then there’s a huge aftermarket part of the business as well.  We’re seeing a lot of new boat styles coming out that serve a lot more purposes. You see a lot of crossovers and dayboats that are good for fishing, cruising, overnights. So I think the industry is trying to pull in a younger demographic but also give boaters more options and make their boats more multi-purpose. I would also add more physical access to boating with more ramps and docks and marinas, especially in urban boating areas, is another big thing the industry could be doing.   Kristen: We always encourage our members to be proactive in maintenance. It is important to have that regular maintenance. Especially if you’re in the northeast and there are seasons, you want to do that spring commissioning and winterizing. Double check your fuel gauge on a regular basis, know how much fuel you put in your boat. Those fuel gauges don’t always work. Education ahead of time and knowing the area you’re in and being familiar with the waters is very helpful. I see the peer-to-peer market, where current boat owners are going to rent their boats out to individuals through sites such as Boatsetter, as something that’s going to change the market. Boat clubs are blowing up at the moment because people see it as a way to get into boating, they’re just not ready to make that purchase yet. 

You could say Diane Seltzer is a jack-of-all trades in the marine world. In her day job Diane is the Marketing Director for SureShade. SureShade designs and manufactures innovative retractable sunshade systems for the marine industry that enhance and facilitate the boating experience. Diane is responsible for branding, public relations, social media implementation, advertising, web site management and marketing communications…and in her 8 years with the company has won multiple Marine Marketer of America awards and has seen it go from concept to factory installed option on over 100 boat models! Diane is also the founder and editor of multiple boating websites for boating enthusiasts including myboatlife.com and boaterkids.com. On the industry side, Diane is founder and editor of Marine Marketing Tools, a collaborative site to share marine marketing best practices, tools and resources - exclusively for boat dealers, marinas, boat builders, marine suppliers, boating product manufacturers and boating service providers. If that isn’t enough to keep her busy, Diane has also written and self-published a children’s book called The Amazing Adventures of Boat Girl! And yes, she still has time to enjoy the boating lifestyle herself, anchoring out in her ‘spot’ with her husband and daughters and cruising the Chesapeake Bay. Diane and I covered a lot about starting to boat later in life, hitting milestones at SureShade, and most importantly tips for raising young kids in the boating lifestyle and how to safely enjoy being out in the sun all day. Enjoy!   On getting into boating…..Before my husband and I were married, we were invited out for a trip on a sailboat and we took a 6 hour cruise down the bay. We spent the weekend in Rock Hall, Maryland. By the time we got to Rock Hall we decided we were not sailors, but the weekend we spent at the marina was so much fun, being out on the water, being around boaters, everyone was so friendly. By the end of that weekend we said we need to get into boating. On her first boat…..By the end of the summer we bought our first boat. It was all new to us, neither of us had ever boated before. We ended up buying a 1982 25’ Bayliner. After a couple of years we were hooked on the lifestyle and upgraded to a newer, bigger boat. We’re on to our third boat. We have a Sea Ray 410 Sundancer. It’s a great boat! On learning to boat…..The first time my husband got behind the wheel of a boat was when we bought the first boat and they dropped him in the water. He spent all winter reading books about boat handling and how to drive and dock a boat. It was all book knowledge the first time he actually drove the boat. A lot of trial by error. All that book knowledge stuck with him through the years. He knows what you’re supposed to do and not supposed to do. [Also important were] learning how to relax and learning our individual responsibilities out on the water. It comes down to communication and experience. Once you learn not to yell at each other and to just calm down a little bit docking gets a lot better! On raising children to be safe boaters…..We’re fanatical about life jackets. Before we even get out on the dock they’re in their life jackets. Walking down the dock, when they’re climbing on and off the boat, when were underway, they’re in the life jacket. They also know that docking is the most stressful part of boating so they know that there’s no carrying on. You sit in your seat and let the captain and first mate do whatever they need to do. They learned really early on about the rules being on the boat. They learned not to hang over the side of the boat and not to hang their toys over the side of the boat because they will be gone! On advice for getting kids to wear life jackets…..It was always the rule. They didn’t know anything different. Sticking with the rules, no exceptions, it’s just a part of life on the boat. We try to get them fun character life jackets that they really like. For my older daughter, we got a cool watersports jacket so it’s more comfortable for her.  On authoring The Amazing Adventures of Boat Girl…..The inspiration was my older daughter Emma. When she would put her life jacket on and hold our hand and jump from the side of the boat to the dock, we would always kind of say ‘Hey Boat Girl!’ She was super empowered because she had her life jacket on and she started getting more confidence getting on and off the boat. Then it expanded to, ‘wouldn’t it be fun to do a little story about Boat Girl and just about being on the boat?’ It’s just all about our day out on the boat and using the life jacket idea as giving you that superpower confidence when you’re wearing it. On her current boating life…..We’re on the Chesapeake Bay. It’s a beautiful, enormous body of water that stretches from Maryland down to Virginia. There’s tons of rivers that are all along the bay. Lots of nooks and crannies and small little fishing towns on the eastern shore and big cities on the western shore with Baltimore, DC, and Annapolis. We always say you could spend a lifetime boating on the Chesapeake Bay and exploring it all. On hitting the 100 boat model mark at SureShade…..It was pretty cool. I’ve been with SureShade since the beginning. Eight years ago SureShade debuted on its first boat with the Boston Whaler 370 Outrage. They were relative newcomers to the boating industry, came up with this product, invented it, patented it, brought it to the industry at IBEX and within two years got their first factory install. Fast forward eight years and we have 100 different boat models that offer it as a factory option or standard feature and then there’s a huge aftermarket part of the business as well. Walking down the docks at Miami and seeing all these boats was definitely a pinch me moment. On increasing demand for SureShade…..It’s a push and pull demand. We’ve been working very closely with the manufacturers so when they come out with a new model they’re designing it into their boats. What’s happening with the ones that don’t offer it on a boat, boaters are going to their dealers and saying I want this shade that I’m seeing on this other model. It’s an opportunity for the dealers to offer as a value add product, to have their service department generate some revenue, so definitely a push and a pull. The more boats you see with it on, the more other boats want to add it, the more private owners want to add to their existing boat. On innovation from SureShade…..We’ve expanded the product offering so now we’re able to offer product for boats of all sizes. Last year we won top new product with boating industry for our RTX pull out shade, for boats under 27’. The way it works is you just lift and pull it out and within seconds you’ve got shade covering your cockpit or your bow. When you get into the bigger sizes we have the manual shade that works with a hand crank. 30’ and above you have the automated shade which is electrically wired and you can operate with a switch at the helm. When you get into bigger boats you have our M3 product which can extend up to 10 feet. On the importance of Sun Safety…..We really didn’t realize until we started getting feedback from customers about how important the sun safety aspect was to them. We’ve heard from skin cancer survivors that say this is the only way they’re able to be out on the boat any more. So many boat designs leave part of the boat exposed. We were lucky enough to hook up with Mike Schimdt. He’s a skin cancer survivor and did a PSA campaign with us about his bout with skin cancer and how important it is to stay protected out on the water. That turned into an industry collaborative called Sun Safe Boating where we’re looking to educate the industry as well as individual boaters about the importance of sun safety. We feel like it is just as important as any other element of boat safety, it’s your health, it’s your life. On attracting new boaters…..From a financial side, having more entry level boats that people can afford. It’s a big financial commitment if you’re not experienced. Also, ways to get into boating with boat clubs like Freedom Boat Club (editors note: I own a Freedom Boat Club franchise), offering the ability to rent boats to give people a chance to experience the boating lifestyle before they make a bigger financial commitment. We’re seeing a lot of new boat styles coming out that serve a lot more purposes. You see a lot of crossovers and dayboats that are good for fishing, cruising, overnights. So I think the industry is trying to pull in a younger demographic but also give boaters more options and make their boats more multi-purpose. I would also add more physical access to boating with more ramps and docks and marinas, especially in urban boating areas, is another big thing the industry could be doing.   Hope you enjoyed that one. Please visit the Sun Safe site and stay safe out there! 

I learn so much in every episode, it is sometimes hard to keep track of it all! Every once in awhile, I'll do a little recap. The first five episodes featured Dan Glickberg, CEO of Dan Glickberg Food; Lisa Almeida, owner of Freedom Boat Club Jacksonville; John Giglio, President and CEO of Freedom Boat Club; Barry Slade, VP of International Sales, Regal Boats; and David Karpinski, President of Taylor Made Products. Here are some great tidbits on equipment, destinations, boats, and advice if you are thinking about getting into the boating lifestyle! Equipment: My guests are very focused on safety which is great! Being a safe boater definitely makes it a more enjoyable experience. John mentioned a PFD (personal flotation device) as the best investment anyone can make. He also recommended a handheld GPS, something that can make sure you get out safely and get back in safely. Dan made a great point about protecting your eyes and making sure all your senses are operating well with a good pair of polarized sunglasses. He also suggested a couple of his favorite fishing manufacturers, Ugly Stik and Penn reel. Barry talked about the importance of a cell phone and something to charge it. Some of the apps he uses are Navionics and Garmin, and Windfinder. Lisa also mentioned Navionics, which I can tell you we recommend to all our members. He also discussed going offshore and having a float plan and a ditch bag, which has many things that you would potentially need in an emergency. Lisa went the fun route and introduced us to Maui Mats!  They are a blast, check them out. She suggested Being a BoatUS member and a Sea-Tow member as well. Dave let us know about the importance of having properly sized fenders for your boat to protect the important investment! They’ve continued to innovate in color with their new line called Storm Gard. Boating Destinations: Hearing about where my guests have boated and want to boat is one of my favorite parts of doing this. I know I have a lot of new places I want to check out! Dave started on the Sacandaga Lake in upstate NY and has been all over for his job but remembers very fondly a great fishing trip with his son to Ft. Lauderdale catching sailfish. Barry has traveled the world - Singapore and Hong Kong, the Red Sea, the Arabian Gulf, Gulf of Mexico, the Carribean, and more. They are all so unique and special, he recommends them all! A few places he would like to get are Croatia. Fiji and Bora Bora. Dan grew up fishing in Montauk and loves to fish in the Florida Keys for Tarpon - his favorite activity. He hasn’t been but would like to go to the Bahamas for bonefishing. John loves his Florida boating with his family and cruises through Lemon Bay and to Don Pedro State Park. Through his job he has loved boating in the Carolines, the Great Lakes, the West Coast of the US, every time he’s on the water he thinks it’s the most beautiful place, til the next trip! Lisa likes her boating events and wants to go to Put-In-Bay in Ohio and the Columbus Day Regatta in Miami, where thousands of boaters come together. The connectivity of these events is her favorite part of boating. She also loves boating around Fort George Island where it’s like a party of your 500 best friends. Advice for would-be boaters: Boating is an activity that appeals to lots of people who dream about it but can’t get off the fence. There are many perceived barriers to entry. I love to find out what kind of advice the guests have for these would-be boaters. Dan and Lisa say to stop thinking about it and do it! It doesn't have to be a dream. Just make it happen, make the decision, there’s no time like the present. Lisa, Dave, and Barry all suggest starting with a visit to Discoverboating.com. John and Barry both point out the importance doing your research on what type of boating is the right fit – buying, renting, joining a club. And take a class to make sure you’re comfortable! Barry also suggests researching your local dealers as a resource. Across the board, the biggest thing they all want potential boaters to know is that joining the boating lifestyle is a decision that will lead to great experiences, memories, and something that will make you very happy! Boats, boats, boats!: Our guests have been fortunate to have experiences on all types of boats, and still themselves dream of their ‘next’ boat. Barry was a first mate on a Hatteras and now has access to Regal boats through his work. He loves the idea of a trawler style and points to Nordhavn as a manufacturer to check out for this type of boat. Dan got his start on a 25 foot Mako fishing boat, and is ready for a Claude Torres fishing boat of his own like the one he later fished on as a child with his dad. While John has a fleet of over 450 boats in his club and a 14’ side console for his kids to learn on, he thinks for his lifestyle a 23-25 foot center console with a 4-stroke outboard is a perfect boat. Lisa got started on the family Glastron, and later a Wellcraft. She currently cruises in her 32 Monterey cruiser with twin Mercs and her 22 Sea Ray Sundeck. Because you know one is never enough! Lisa daydreams of upgrading to a 46 or 48 sedan bridge to enjoy the views from up top! Dave’s first experiences were on a 1969 Glastron IO boat that came with the family lake cottage. He currently has a 22 Regal bowrider which is great for his family boating activities.   Random Notes and Quotes: Lisa: It was always a mindset of, 'of course you can do this!' It's really not that hard, I believe it's more of a mindset that women can do it. It's really just about pushing through the fear of the unknown, of the not doing, and if you've got someone there coaching you, teaching you, and letting you just be like, it's okay you made a mistake, then gaining experience and confidence is just what it takes. It’s really fun to bring your animal on board, but you also want to remember that you're in charge of them. You want to make sure they're safe, so number one - your dog should have a life jacket that fits them well and makes them comfortable. Also, when you're coming down to the dock you want to have them on a leash because if it's a floating dock they might feel wobbly and uncomfortable. Then definitely you have got to have water and a water bowl for them. John: There are a lot of technological advances now, specifically with marine electronics. The electronics companies have really started focusing on customer experience. There’s been a huge focus on trying to engage minority boaters. They are cultures that didn’t necessarily grow up boating but that is a huge opportunity for our industry. What you are going to see over the next several years, as the baby boomers age out of boating and the industry continues to look for the young people to get engaged in the industry, people are going to focus a lot more on bringing those new markets into the boating industry. Boating should be fun. The people on the boat should have a fun time and a safe time. With the training that we offer and with some training the industry is going to be coming out with, hopefully that will solve a big part of the attrition with boat buyers moving out of the industry. If they’re going to make that leap and buy a boat or join a club, we want them here for a long time. Dan: I learned by doing it. To me there's no trick, it takes a little time, a little experience, but once you do it often being on a becomes second nature. It's really about putting in the time.  Being out on the water is really about the people you are with and the stories you tell. It's really a time when you can put everything else going on in your life away, put your cell phone away, and detach and focus on being in the moment.  Salmon is probably the easiest fish to cook. You can just put some olive oil, some lemon juice, and some fresh herbs on it. Put it on the pan, brown both sides, and put it in the oven for 5-10 minutes depending on how big a filet it is. With any fish, especially if the skin is on it, put the skin side down first, and then flip it to the filet side and you want to cook them for about the same amount of time. If you cook it well enough on the skin side, you can actually eat the skin. It tastes pretty good, very high in protein and Omega-3's.  David: At their younger age, everything is about respecting the boat, the people around you, the experience, the safety requirements. You can add on the lessons about navigation and tying knots but everything up until now is - we do it right and we do it safe. They’ll grow up to love boating, but they’ll have the base of knowledge and respect of the craft to do it right. The first piece of advice was from my dad – docking is the hardest part, have good fenders! His comment to me which I still take to this day is to take it slow. People don’t realize there aren’t brakes on a boat. When he taught me, he said do it deliberately, take your time, there’s no hurry to get into the spot, do it right and do it once. The other thing which is instilled in me is the entire safety component. Don’t drink and boat. Don’t be unsafe in the way that you boat, and respect the others around you and it will be a good day!  Barry: The first thing that is really apparent in the market is the trend towards outboards. They’re becoming immensely popular. The surf market, the tow boat market, is also one that continues to grow and attract boaters.  We want to connect with the emotional side of boats and boating. It’s a big discretionary item, there’s a lot of emotion involved. It’s also a memory making machine. We look at our boats as things that families will use to create memories that they’ll have for a lifetime. The younger generation still has that opportunity. Albeit they’re being introduced to a lot of different ways to come into boating. There’s boat clubs like the Freedom Boat Club, there’s the sharing economy through other vehicles, but once you’re there and you’ve had that experience, we’re all the same. The emotion is an integral part of boating.

Barry Slade is currently the VP of international sales for Regal Marine, where he is responsible for sales and marketing efforts supporting 72 international dealers in 51 countries. Barry has overseen over half a billion dollars of boat sales in his career and has been involved in every aspect of the boat business – starting as a First Mate, running a charter boat, and a variety of roles and responsibilities at some of the top boat manufacturers. Barry’s illustrious career includes stops at Anchor South Management where he oversaw management of multiple facilities featuring over 1500 slips and 74 houseboats; Sea Ray Boats as Director of International Operations and Global Brand Management, coordinating sales activities for Sea Ray and Boston Whaler brands; Baja Marine as VP of global sales; Director of Sales at Azimut where he helped launch Azimut USA; and Hatteras as International Sales and Marketing Director. Barry’s experience as a licensed captain as well as a recreational boater and industry leader on the manufacturing side provided the opportunity for a wide ranging and incredibly educational and fun conversation. It is the first and I’m gonna guess last time Stinger Missiles are mentioned on the podcast, and we cover things like manufacturer building trends, how he learned to boat in the Caribbean, differences boating internationally, and a whole lot more. Enjoy!   On getting started in the industry…..Following college, I had taken some trips to the Bahamas on a raggedy old 65’ ketch with 16 or 18 college kids on it. It was my first time in blue water and following some experiences early in my childhood it all came together. I just knew that’s where I wanted to be. I was in the auto industry, I turned in my car, sold my house, and moved to the Virgin Islands. I got my captain’s license and started in the charter business. After a season, I came back to the US and got a job with Hatteras as a first mate on their demonstrator. I feel fortunate and blessed to be in a business that I love with a product that I just can’t get enough of. On boating memories from his youth…..I had one defining moment. On my ninth birthday, I remember vividly my father waking me up and saying, ‘You’re not going to school today, we’re going fishing.’ We went out on about a 70’ head boat out of Carolina Beach, and I was sick as a dog all day long but I had the best time. I remember the Coke, I remember the saltines, and we caught fish. We had a great day and I fell in love with big water and the ocean. On his time as first mate…..We learned to sail, learned to work lines, anchoring techniques, navigation. Coming back in to Government Cut in Miami from the Bahamas was always an experience. It was fun but also a great learning experience. Some things come easier than others but by and large I felt like there are others who have come before us and done it so I can too. On personal boating…..We are fortunate at Regal that there are some boats that we have access to occasionally. Some of it is product testing, some is enjoyment. One of the great things about Regal is many of the employees are avid boaters so by using boats we can be better critics and offer suggestions that make our boats better. My kids have grown up on boats, I honeymooned on a yacht in the Virgin Islands. Boats have been an integral part of my life and especially the enjoyable times in it. On favorite places to boat…..I’ve boated in Singapore and Hong Kong, the Red Sea, the Arabian Gulf, Gulf of Mexico, lots of places. They’re all unique. They all have something to offer and are wonderful in their own way. If I had a favorite it would most likely be the Caribbean only because I’ve spent so much time there and have many memories. There are a few places I’d like to boat. One is Croatia. I’ve heard some of the islands are just breathtaking, simple, take you back in time boating. The other is Fiji and Bora Bora. They are overwhelmingly beautiful and seem like they would be good places to cruise and dive. On building boats for the overseas customer…..There are some differences. We as a manufacturer have to cater to those differences. There are a lot of places where they need enclosures. The weather is cold and the seasons are short so they like a pilot house enclosure even on small boats. Mooring is quite different. Most of your international marinas, particularly for boats over 10 meters, you have what’s called a Mediterranean moor. You’re anchored on the front and tied at the back and as a result you have a passerelle which is a boarding gangway. On differences boating on big boats…..Your mistakes get a whole lot more expensive! It’s really just anticipating what’s ahead. With a large boat, you have a lot of momentum, a lot of mass. It’s a spatial orientation. Understanding where you are and where you want to go, and how the forces of nature and your engines and thrusters can all work in concert to move you in that direction. On design and building trends in the industry…..The first thing that is really apparent in the market is the trend towards outboards. They’re becoming immensely popular and we’re up to a full family of boats with outboards. Starting at the 23 OBX, we’ve got a 26, a 29 and a 33. We’ve got a full complement of beautiful outboard boats. The surf market, the tow boat market, is also one that continues to grow and attract boaters. We’ve developed a family of surf boats that we believe are among the best in the non-traditional tow boat segment. Using Volvo Penta’s Forward Drive we’ve been able to create a surf system that creates an extremely good wave but also allows the boat to do all the things it was originally built to do. It cruises well, it handles well, it docks easily, great fuel economy. Everything about the boat that made it a terrific all around boat gets the benefit of now being able to surf. We’ve moved into the fly bridge market with the recent introduction of our 42 Fly. We’ve traditionally been a Coupe builder, along with the 42 Fly we’ve got the 42 Grand Coupe. Large retractable sunroof, single level, and beautiful state rooms below. Were always monitoring what’s out there, what’s selling, what the competition is doing and trying to be ahead of or in the mix with the competitive forces in the market. On reaching out to new markets…..We want to connect with the emotional side of boats and boating. It’s a big discretionary item, there’s a lot of emotion involved. It’s also a memory making machine. We look at our boats as things that families will use to create memories that they’ll have for a lifetime and we want those to be good memories. They call it pleasure boating for a reason and if it ceases to be a pleasure, then we’ve not accomplished our mission. You’ll see in some of our video the emotion that’s a part of boating. The Dreaming With You video connects back to the childhood emotion that I identify with as a kid, that 9 year old with boats and boating. That’s what bonds us all. The younger generation still has that opportunity. Albeit they’re being introduced to a lot of different ways to come into boating. There’s boat clubs like the Freedom Boat Club, there’s the sharing economy through other vehicles, but once you’re there and you’ve had that experience, we’re all the same. The emotion is an integral part of boating. On what stands out at the Regal factory tours….The people. We have an incredibly tenured team. Some real dedicated and fantastic boat builders that love it when people come through the plant. They love to show their art, their trade, their expertise. The thing I recall from my first visit was what I call ‘Seeing boats doing what boats were meant to do’ – that is, floating and running. Most of our boats go into a test tank where systems are run while they are floating. They see what a boat is gonna do when it gets out into the real world. The larger boats go into a test track where we can essentially give it a sea trial. On Barry’s retirement boat…..I’m more attuned to a trawler style. They offer some great benefits of extended range, offshore capability, something with redundant commercial grade systems. A pilot house boat, something with side decks, something with good launch and retrieval capabilities for tenders and toys, a cockpit of some kind is a must. Nice access to the water because I’d want to dive and be on or close to the water much of the time. You look at the market and there are a number of people building good boats like that. One of them that comes to mind is Nordhavn. On what he would never go on the water without….If I’m just going out local it would be a cell phone. You can do a lot with a cell phone, you’ve got charts, the phone, the weather. So, a cell phone and a way to charge it. If I’m going off shore the two things that are essential are a float plan and a ditch bag, which has many things that you would potentially need in an emergency. Its designed so that you can ditch it. The bag itself is designed to float with the contents in it which would include things like flares, a VHF radio, EPIRB, dye, comfortable life jackets. I even carry a set of wooden plugs so if you ever spring a leak you have something that’s tapered and fits right in. A mask so if you ever need to see something on the outside of the boat you are all set. On boating apps…..A good weather app, there’s a ton of those. Something that allows you to see the detail in the storm, allows you to see the lightning. Navionics and Garmin, some of these guys have really good apps that tie in with their electronics. There’s one that’s called Windfinder that I really like. There are tide apps if you’re coastal boating. A lot of the glass cockpit technology that you see in the modern boats they have that same functionality. On advice for someone thinking about getting into boating…..You’re about to embark on a very wonderful stage of your life. You should do your homework and investigate the different ways to expose yourself to boating. Make the investment to learn about boating and boats. Find a good dealer in your area that can help you through the process. You can go to Discover Boating. There are a lot of ways to boat and a lot of different kinds of boats and you want to have a good experience with a boat that matches your needs.

It was a real treat speaking with John Giglio. John is President and CEO of Freedom Boat Club, the world’s largest and oldest private boating club in the nation now celebrating its 27th anniversary. With 15,000+ members in 115+ locations in the US and Canada and sporting a fleet of more than 1200 boats, Freedom Boat Club offers an attractive alternative to boat ownership and delivers memories that last a lifetime. John, his wife Lisa and two daughters live in Venice, FL where the corporate headquarters are based. John purchased Freedom Boat Club in 2012, having previously worked for the company for several years in both senior level operations and sales capacities. Freedom Boat Club has doubled its growth since he took the helm. The company has received multiple recognitions both within and outside the marine industry. It has been named to the Entrepreneur’s Magazine “Top 500 Franchisees” for the past five years, as well as being ranked in the Inc. Magazine’s “Top 5000 Fastest Growing Companies.” Boating Industry Magazine named John to its roster of “Top 16 Movers and Shakers” in 2013. John has a unique perspective on both boating and the boating industry. His experiences as a recreational boater, as the owner of a 450-boat fleet, and as a leader in the evolution of the boating industry all combine to make him an incredible resource and someone I have been able to learn a lot from. In this conversation, we cover things like learning to boat later in life, passing that knowledge onto your children, great places to boat and day trips in FL, industry trends and insight, who he would love to spend a day on the water with, and more. Enjoy!   On getting into boating…..I did not grow up boating but my wife did. Our first date was on a friend’s boat where we did some water skiing and our second date was on her waverunner. After those two fun events I was hooked, I knew that the boating lifestyle was something I wanted to be a part of.  On learning to boat…..When I moved down to the west coast of Florida, my boss at the time had a big 42’ Hatteras. We would go out just about every weekend, either diving, or I got into spearfishing. They also had a few smaller boats so we would take those boats out. Just show up at my boss’s house, hop on one of the little 17’ Whalers, and run around for a little while. That’s where I got my one on one instruction from my wife. On teaching his daughters to boat…..I have a fleet of over 450 boats and I vowed I was never going to buy a boat personally….but then I had kids! I bought a little 14’ side console to teach them how to operate. I made them take the Florida boating class so we can take them out on the boat and they can drive while I’m sitting right next to them. It’s been great teaching them how to operate a boat and getting them out on the water from a young age. On favorite family activities…..We do a lot of inshore fishing, knee-boarding, tubing, and skiing. And then just general cruising. Where we are there are lot of waterfront restaurants and little beaches, a little place called Snake Island that we like to go to. It’s great family fun. On his favorite place to boat…..We have a great area south of Venice called Lemon Bay. You’ve got a mixture of no wake zones, open areas. There’s great fishing. There’s a little place called Ski Alley. And then just further South there is a place called Don Pedro State Park which is a great place to go dock the boat and head down to the beach. We see dolphin, we see manatee, we sometimes see sea turtles. It is the perfect little Florida trip down the west coast. On fishing offshore…..We take the boats between 20 and 25 miles offshore. There’s great grouper fishing, snapper when they’re in season, and amberjacks. So there’s a great variety and diversity of fish that you can catch offshore. But if the wind is blowing a little bit and the Gulf’s choppy, there’s also great recreating and fishing inshore. It’s just a beautiful area to go boating. On boating all over the country…..The Carolinas are beautiful, the Great Lakes are beautiful, the West Coast of the US, beautiful. That’s one of the major benefits of this job, when I’m traveling and visiting the locations, I get to go to really really nice places. And every time I go someplace and I’m out on a boat, I think to myself ‘this is the nicest place I’ve been to.’ It goes to show you the lifestyle and how boating affects people because everywhere, regardless of the type of boating or the type of boat you’re on, you’re still on the water and it’s still a phenomenal experience being out there. On his dream boat…..The more I know about boats, and with some of the boats being built now, I think for my lifestyle, a 23-25 foot center console is a perfect boat. That’s a boat that could stay inshore as well as go offshore. It’s cost effective. You can put a nice 4-stroke engine on the back of that and you’re not killing yourself in fuel. On essential equipment for beginners…..The best investment anybody can make is some type of PFD (personal flotation device). From a safety standpoint that’s the biggest. From a boating standpoint, a second recommendation is that you pick up a handheld GPS, something that can make sure you get out safely and get back in safely. On boating innovation…..There are a lot of technological advances now, specifically with marine electronics. The electronics companies have really started focusing on customer experience. Now they have 3D technology, so if you’re out there fishing you can actually get a 3D side scan reading and you can watch fish swimming by your boat. They have a lot of interactive electronics now so that all of the electronics on the boat operate the systems on the boat. You can pull up an app on the phone and you can see how hot the engine is running, you can get speed, diagnostic information. The engine manufacturers as well as the electronics manufacturers and boat manufacturers have really worked well the last few years so that it is as simple as it can possibly be for someone to take a boat out and operate it. On changes in the industry…..There’s been a huge focus on trying to engage minority boaters. As the population base of the US changes dramatically, the demographics are changing dramatically. They are cultures that didn’t necessarily grow up boating but that is a huge opportunity for our industry. What you are going to see over the next several years, as the baby boomers age out of boating and the industry continues to look for the young people to get engaged in the industry, people are going to focus a lot more on bringing those new markets into the boating industry. On new market outreach at Freedom Boat Club…..We really solve a lot of the industry’s problems. When you look at those markets, they’re people that are not traditional boaters so the club concept fits very well into their lifestyle, at least to begin getting them engaged in boating. We offer training, we offer a variety of boats, and those are two major hurdles when you’re bringing someone new into the industry. We get them comfortable and hopefully we create lifetime boaters. On boating attrition (54% of boat buyers in 2005 are no longer boating)…..I can almost guarantee that the majority of those people aren’t boating today because they had a couple of really bad experiences when they started. Boating should be fun. The people on the boat should have a fun time and a safe time. With the training that we offer and with some training the industry is going to be coming out with, hopefully that will solve a big part of the attrition with boat buyers moving out of the industry. If they’re going to make that leap and buy a boat or join a club, we want them here for a long time. On recommended reading…..I know its state specific but there is a Florida safe boating handbook. I think that from an educational standpoint, get some type of resource that’s going to explain the basics of boating before you get out on the water. The Florida safe boating handbook is something that I give to everybody whether they are considering the club or considering buying a boat. On spending a day out on the water with anyone (besides his wife and kids)…..I would have to say Bill Belichik. I’m a huge Patriots fan and I think if you’re going to try to get some time with Bill Belichik, it probably needs to be on a boat where there aren’t any distractions. I think he’s a brilliant coach and a brilliant motivator and I’d love to pick his brain for a few hours. On advice for someone thinking about getting into boating…..Do your research on whether buying a boat, renting boats, or joining a boat club are going to fit your lifestyle. And before you get on a boat, take a classroom class and a hands-on training class to make sure you’re comfortable. If you’re comfortable the first time, you’ll be comfortable beyond that. We covered much more in our conversation. The hardest part of recording this episode was narrowing down what to talk about given his participation in so many different parts of the boating industry. Leave any questions or comments below! 

Wow, I had so much fun recording this episode with Lisa 'The Boatanista' Almeida. Born and raised a Floridian, who claims to bleed salt water when she gets cut, Lisa turned a successful career in Sales and Marketing into her current role as the Owner of Freedom Boat Club, Jacksonville and St. Augustine. Before owning her Freedom Boat Club locations, Lisa rose to Director of Marketing for the nine state Bellsouth region. During her tenure, she was continually recognized for her innovative, creative problem solving, and her ability to engage an audience with her speaking skills. In 2007, when she took an early retirement from Bellsouth to make a career change, she followed her passion for being on the water. Lisa is a member of the Captains Club, The Jacksonville Power Squadron, The Jacksonville Marine Association, and serves on the City of Jacksonville’s Boating Committee. As an Aquaholic she has done many charity boat rides for underprivileged children, and was instrumental in saving the Jacksonville lighted boat parade. In 2016 Boating Industry included Lisa in their list of Women Making Waves, recognizing women in the boating industry who have made large contributions to its success, propelled its growth and led their organizations into the future. Lisa has been a distinguished franchise owner winning several national awards including Marketer of the Year and Brand Champion. Lisa’s passion for boating and enthusiasm is inspiring. We covered so much - how she boated at 3 weeks old, ‘boat-gating’ at Jaguars games, advice for boating with pets, empowering women boaters, essentials for beginners, following her passion into a fulfilling career she loves, and more. Enjoy the conversation!   On getting her boating start…..I like to say that boating is a part of my DNA and I didn't really even have a choice because my parents were competitive water skiers and they competed all over the states. They actually competed at Cypress Gardens. My mom kept waterskiing with me until she was six months pregnant. Then three weeks after I was born she said they would put me in a carrier and tie me up underneath the bow, I would go to sleep when the engine started. When the engine would stop I would wake up and then they would feed me, and then the engine would start and I’d go back into slumberland. On her first boating memory…..I remember being at a tournament and I was three years old. My mom used to ski in a tutu and she would be on one ski skiing backwards and there's a picture of me three years old with a ski rope in front of me, and I had a little bathing suit with a tutu and I'm standing there with my leg out back trying to imitate my mom. I just remember it being such a loving atmosphere, and fun, and everybody was having a great time and that's what boating actually means to me. On the first boats she was on…..I know that it was a Glastron, and another one of the first boats that my dad had was a Wellcraft. There's also another picture of me like four years old sitting at the helm staring at the wheel, and my dad said you're staring at it thinking ‘when do I get to drive.’  On learning to boat…..I was about 8 or 9 when I started learning to drive the boat. And then at 14 or 15 I was driving it with no problem. Later on, when I bought my first boat, my dad came up and really spent a lot of time with me and teaching me about the lines, and currents, and wind, and trailering.  He has a great method called push/pull, learning how to spin on yourself with just one engine. He taught me about the throttle, and putting it in and out of gear, and just practicing and making it okay if you didn't do it right the first time.  On whether boating was intimidating…..Never, and I think it's because my dad had three girls and so because he wanted to ski and he always wanted to go boating, we all had to learn how to drive, back the trailer, etc. It was always a mindset of, 'of course you can do this!' It's really not that hard, I believe it's more of a mindset that women can do it. It's really just about pushing through the fear of the unknown, of the not doing, and if you've got someone there coaching you, teaching you, and letting you just be like, it's okay you made a mistake, then gaining experience and confidence is just what it takes. On the feeling of being a confident boater.....I will tell you it is really really fun when I'm in my 32 Monterey and I am driving and I pull up to somewhere and pull it right in, and there's a guy standing there and many times he's going 'wow that's pretty impressive.' One of my favorite stories was in Fernandina Beach. They have a shrimp festival every year. It's a three day event with bands and music and food. I had a girlfriend and two guys on the boat with me and I was driving my 30 Sea Ray and it was pretty tight and we were coming in and I heard somebody on the dock say 'watch out, there's a lady at the helm.' We came in, I spun it around and backed up, and they gave me a standing ovation. It was awesome!   On her personal boats.....I have a 32 Monterey cruiser with twin Mercs on it which I absolutely love. I have a 22 Sea Ray Sundeck which is an awesome boat. Because you know one is never enough!  On her dream boat…..I’d really love to have a 46 or 48 sedan bridge because it is really nice to get up top on the sedan. The views are different, you can see things different and it's really fun when you're anchored out and everybody's hanging out up top. On boating to Jaguars games…..That is so much fun. It is one of my favorite things for my members to experience, even friends who have never done it. The stadium is on the river and right across from the stadium is the city Marina, so we don't tailgate, we boat-gate. Just like tailgating, everybody brings food, we put a tent on the dock, and it's really awesome when we're going underneath the bridge and you see the bumper-to-bumper traffic and we don't have any. Why go by car when you can go by boat?! On her boating destination bucket list…..I want to go to Put-In-Bay in Ohio and I also want to do the Columbus Day Regatta in Miami, where thousands of boaters come together. Put-In-Bay has the round bar and a bunch of boats rafted up together. That's really when my heart is the most open and it's the most fun, when we're all rafted up together and there's all different kinds of boats and everybody is just one big happy family. It's just that connectivity. You don't ever meet a stranger, but you meet tons of strangers and that's the best thing for me about boating. On her favorite boating activity…..Now my favorite thing really is going to the beach and rafting up with folks - swimming, enjoying activities, having kids around, bringing them up in the boating world. We have an island here called Fort George Island that is a big barrier island. The beaches are gorgeous and everybody just goes and rafts up together and anchors and it's kind of like you took your boat to the beach with a party of your 500 best friends. On a new favorite piece of gear.....Maui Mats!  They are 6 feet wide by 20 feet long. You can walk on it, you can put coolers on it, you can put chairs on it, kids love, it, and adults love it. It's really fun to just hang out on the Maui Mat, swim on it, jump off it, and walk on water. On essentials for beginners.….I think definitely Navionics or something like that on your iPhone is a must. Being a BoatUS member and a Sea-Tow member, I recommend both because they each bring different things to the table, is also very helpful. There is so much you can learn from reading your BoatUS magazine, getting online, seeing their feed on Facebook. Anytime I get the magazine I'm pulling out articles on really cool tools to have on board, places to go, and things about boating. I think both of those things are really really important. On her favorite boating ‘book’..…I don't really have a boating book other than my West Marine catalog! My friends do tease me that I would rather go to West Marine and walk around than go to the mall and it is the truth! On her career change…..I went on an African safari and we were touring this mud hut, and 8 people slept in it and they were gracious and happy and I had an epiphany moment. I came back and decided to leave Bell South. Freedom Boat Club interviewed 12 people (11 men and me) and I got the job. Now I understand the difference between loving what you do and having a passion for what you do. I work all the time and I never feel like I'm at work. Even when I'm on my boat on the weekends at Fort George, in the morning and night I'm on my laptop working but it doesn't ever feel like work. I want to do it. I love doing it. I want everyone to get on the water and experience the joy of boating with your friends and your family! On boating with pets…..It's really fun to bring your animal on board, but you also want to remember that you're in charge of them. You want to make sure they're safe, so number one - your dog should have a life jacket that fits them well and makes them comfortable. Also, when you're coming down to the dock you want to have them on a leash because if it's a floating dock they might feel wobbly and uncomfortable. Then definitely you have got to have water and a water bowl for them. They make a bottle that actually has a ball on it that the dog can lick and water will come out of it. There's lots of different things that you can buy but definitely have to keep them hydrated because when they get in the water they're going to drink, and if it's salty that's not good for them. On success in the boating world..…I think of Carl Blackwell from Discover Boating and the reason that he comes to mind is because his whole goal is to make people aware about boating and learning about boating. Their website and their facebook page has a plethora of information. Of course I think about John Giglio, CEO and President of Freedom Boat Club. Many of our members leave and buy their own boats. They fall in love with boating which is great. We're putting product on the water for people to see and those people are taking friends. It's giving boating so much exposure. John's done an amazing job growing the business, we're at 120 locations.  Final advice for someone thinking about boating..…Stop thinking about it and do it! It doesn't have to be a dream. Just make it happen, make the decision. If you're unsure if you're a boating family, rent a boat. If they like the rental boat and you're still not sure about wanting to buy a boat, join a boat club. If you feel like you already know you're a boating family go to Discoverboating.com, read about the different kinds of boats, go to a boat show and see what kind of boat you think you want to buy. Just make the decision. There's lots of support out there, there's lots of help out there, just do it! Rent, join a club, or buy. Put one foot in front of the other and just make that decision and get your family out having so much fun. They're not on their iPhones, they're not on their iPads, they're laughing and joking and you are creating family memories that are going to last forever!   I can't wait to join Lisa on a boat-gate to a Jaguars game someday. Leave questions or comments below. 

In this episode I visit with Greg Sweeney Sales Manager for Freedom Boat Club at his Treasure Island location. Greg talks about how at the age of 9 his father wanted to start a boat rental company in Indian Shores, prior to the creation of Freedom Boat Club. “I have always been involved in boating” Greg states, so it’s no wonder he speaks so passionately about the boating and the lifestyle. Greg will share testimonies from members and some experiences that is only possible when you motor out on one the many boats to choose from. He shares about places to visit only accessible by boat, great places to fish as well as the overall freedom that comes from boating. If you have ever thought about owning a boat but would like to test the waters first? This is a great and affordable way to get you and your family involved in boating. Mentioned in this episode: Treasure Bay Resort & Marina West End Yacht Club Tierra Verde Marina John’s Pass Marina Clearwater Marina Frenchy’s Saltwater Café Sea Hags Bar & Grill Sea Breeze Island Grill & Raw Bar

We had another fast pace interesting show this past Sunday evening. Capt. Frank Ursitti, Owner/Operator of the Constitution and Ranger 85 and managing partner of H&M Landing, updated us on current SoCal saltwater fishing conditions. Dan Hasbrouck, President of Freedom Boat Club of San Diego with 87 locations throughout the country explained how his company can benefit the non-boat owner. Tom Gatch from About.com Saltwater fishing with Tom Gatch shared with us the current fishing conditions along the North Pacific side of the Baja Peninsula and how to take advantage of the great fishing. As always both Phil Friedman and Captain James Nelson kept us informed on what's biting and what’s not off our Socal waters.