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With every passing day, the Millennial generation becomes more the here-and-now rather than the future. There has been a lot of talk about the potential changes this group will bring when it assumes leadership of the ski industry, but who’s doing the talking? We figured it was time for Millennials to speak for themselves.

To get the conversation going, we sent an email query to some recent “10 Under 30” profilees, all Millennials. From there, we chose a handful of respondents—who represent various departments, regions, and genders—to take part in a dialogue on Google Hangouts. Because conference calls are so old school.

We wanted this group to be completely candid, so their answers are anonymous. Each has been assigned an alias that only identifies his or her sex. (If you don’t recognize the source of the aliases, ask a Millennial for help.)

Our admittedly small, but informed, sample validates some assumptions made by other generations about Millennials, but contradicts others. It just goes to show, if you want to know more about someone, all you have to do is ask. Because we all know what happens when we assume.

And now, to the Hangouts.

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE STEREOTYPE THAT ALL MILLENNIALS ARE LAZY AND ENTITLED?

Lisa T.: This one drives me nuts. Another is that we hold the perception that we can’t do anything wrong and that Millennials are narcissistic. Another is that reality is off in the distance and we don’t understand the steps needed to get towards a certain goal, or how to work our way up. If that were true, I’m just going to quit work and backpack through Europe! YOLO!

Kelly K.: I think it is a favorite past time of most older generations to look at younger generations and think that they have it easier. With Millennials, I think that is especially true due to our unprecedented access to technology, information, and the ability to travel. Older generations think we don’t suffer because certain things are right at our fingertips with instant communications. So, when they see us unemployed or “not working,” I think they see it as laziness instead of what it is: we suffered through the worst economic recession since the Great Depression.

Zack M.: Some stereotypes are true, others aren’t. I love to ski hard, party hard, and always have a blast (while documenting it on Snapchat).

HOW DO WE FIX THE PERCEPTION PROBLEM?

A.C.: It’s a perception of initiative. It’s how we show peers and co-workers that we are motivated to make a difference, no matter the cost. And that we can bust our ass to solve a problem, address a challenge, or simply improve an aspect of a business.

Kelly K.: I think the best way to combat it is to defy that stereotype daily and just work hard. But I also think things are so different now and older generations can’t relate. I personally don’t want to work a 9-5 job for my entire life. That isn’t what success looks like to me, and I think that is a foreign concept to older generations.

Lisa T.: I completely agree with Kelly K. on things being completely different now, and older generations can’t relate.  Everyone has a different idea of what “success” looks like.

OK, WHAT DOES SUCCESS LOOK LIKE?

Lisa T.: For me, it’s making a difference and doing something for the better. Work/life is huge, which is why I love working in the ski industry. It makes it easy to go to work when you’re working in an industry that is also one of your passions. The pay isn’t great, we all know that, but there’s a reason why we all are where we are today.

Zack M.: Success for me is having employees say they want to work for me again and again and again. As well as influencing the industry and contributing to its ever-changing nature in a positive way.

A.C.: I think, specifically to the ski industry where pay is not a good indicator of success, it comes down to how we can make a difference. Set some goals or expectations and work toward them over the course of a season. Then look back to see if we were able to push forward in the ways we planned to.

Max: We want to play hard but know it requires hard work to do so. I enjoy my job and don’t simply work for the weekend.

Kelly K.: For me, success is finding a good work/life balance and getting more out of the job than just a paycheck.

CONSIDERING YOUR OWN DEFINITION OF SUCCESS, IF THERE WERE ONE THING YOU WISH YOU COULD GET OUT OF YOUR JOB THAT YOU AREN'T NOW, WHAT WOULD IT BE?

Zack M.: Honestly, I’d like to live in an area where I see a future. A place with normal jobs. A place where I can see myself buying a house and starting a family. But our resort towns are being taken over by short-term leases and rich people who visit their homes twice a winter. It’s discouraging to work for a resort you love but not see yourself buying real estate.

So I guess my answer is that resorts and companies need to either help with living, or have a game plan for retaining employees. If I made my same salary in the city, I would be well on my way to owning a house. Instead, I’m looking for my next move with more pay and a realistic housing market.

Lisa T.: I have been lucky in my job. I have been given numerous opportunities to grow within my company, but I have done it by myself. The thing that also drives me crazy is how people think I was handed my current position. I have worked so hard to be where I am today, starting at the bottom, and now a part of the resort’s senior management team.

A.C.: Totally agree with Zack and Lisa, but can I add “more ski days”??? At my mountain, senior leaders are a little flat, and there isn’t a strong enough culture of fun and love for the sport from the top down.

DO YOU SEE THE CULTURE OF RESORTS CHANGING AS THE CURRENT LEADERS RETIRE? BE HONEST: IS IT A GOOD THING THAT SO MANY OF THE INDUSTRY'S LEADERS ARE NEARING RETIREMENT AGE?

Zack M.: Of course.

Lisa T.: Honestly? Yes. Also, does anyone else feel like the older generations in the industry are very “cliquey”? It’s something I’ve noticed at numerous conferences and industry meetings.

Kelly K.: I think change is a good thing, so if it means change comes with older people retiring, then so be it. That makes me sad, though. Older managers should be more open to change and evolve with the times; the industry shouldn’t be stagnant while we wait for that.

BEFORE THE OLD GUARD RETIRES, IS THERE SOMETHING YOU WANT TO LEARN FROM THEM?

Kelly K.: I think just learning the history from the old guard is huge. The industry is what it is today because of them, and that impact can’t be ignored. I think understanding the history of where the industry came from can help inform us on its future trajectory. Their successes and failures are always something we can learn from.

Zack M.: I’d like to see Millennials understand the whole operation aspect of the industry. Everyone keeps having specialty skills at these huge resorts. The ski industry can be just as fun as it was in the ’80s. Sure, there are more regulations and rules as we learn more, but we can have just as much fun (if not more) as they had.

WHAT IS SOMETHING YOU WANT THEM TO LEARN FROM YOU?

Lisa T.: To be more open-minded. That some ideas might sound crazy, but you never know what is going to work until you try it. You need to take risks and can’t always play it safe.

Kelly K.: To embrace diversity and new things. I think we can remind them that taking risks and trying new things is fun and can have huge ROI. I think many of them have gotten conservative in their older years, making decisions based on budgets and spreadsheets instead of the culture and vibe of the industry.

A.C.: Yeah, simply to consider new perspectives and be open to new ways to approach old issues. And to keep having fun with what we’re all doing!

WHAT IS THE MOST VALUABLE TRAIT MILLENNIALS HAVE THAT PRIOR GENERATIONS DO NOT?

Zack M.: Ability to see that ski resorts need to always be evolving. Like anywhere, people are scared of change. However, money isn’t always being poured into the ski industry and we need to get creative, especially when our winters aren’t as promising as they used to be.

Mr. Belding: We like change, we like evolution, and we like to push the envelope.

Screech: We have a strong ability to process information and evolve/adapt. The workplace is changing at a faster pace than ever before.

WHAT CHANGES OR INNOVATIONS WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE RESORTS TRY?

Zack M.: Leadership development, food trucks in parking lots, season pass offices being a one-stop shop for all resort bookings (ski school, rental, tickets). Also, involving the community in events and how the terrain parks are designed.

A.C.: I see some leadership development efforts happening, but definitely new solutions to F&B, gateway experiences, and more emphasis on fun. The importance of the guest experience has always been key, but it is constantly changing and there are always different ways to enhance it. Enabling more of the local community or finding new ways to engage them will be important moving forward, as well.

WE ALL KNOW CONVERSION IS DOWN FOR FIRST-TIME SKIERS AND RIDERS. WHAT DO YOU ALL SEE AS A POTENTIAL SOLUTION THAT OTHER GENERATIONS MIGHT NOT SEE?

Kelly K.: What is interesting at the resort I work at is that conversion is actually up. I think that has to do with our diversity efforts. We work on welcoming a new group of skiers and snowboarders by tapping into new markets that traditionally do not ski or board. I think broadening the scope is needed to attract new people. Also, creating learn-to programs that are affordable and offer huge benefits for seeing it all the way through to an intermediate level has a huge impact. Getting an innovative ski school manager is essential.

A.C.: We have a great conversion program here as well that has gained pretty good traction. It hits on some of the points Kelly K. raised. A new or different element could be to make it a more social experience. A way for friends to strengthen their bond or do something new together.

Lisa T.: Incorporating the lifestyle of becoming a skier or snowboarder. It’s not just learning how to do it, it’s the atmosphere, the après scene, making new friends—there is a whole other side that people who are brand-new to the sport don’t see. It should be about creating experiences and enhancing people’s lives—that is the business we’re all in, not the ski business.

Kelly K.: I think what bums me out about getting new markets and new people into the sport is some old timers—and even younger employees who are super into the industry—don’t have the patience to truly welcome a new market and new beginners. The gaper hate can be real, and really disappointing considering the opportunity.

WHAT'S THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE SKI INDUSTRY EMPLOYEES FACE?

Zack M.: I can really see the biggest challenge facing the industry being wages vs. cost of living. Each season my directors challenge me to bring on great workers and pay them terribly while there is no housing. I can only be so creative. When you run out of resources and their pay isn’t changing and the economy is getting better, they’ll just get jobs somewhere else.

A.C.: What Zack M. said is definitely real. It is hard to retain passionate and hard-working people if the pay/housing doesn’t match the work being put in.

Jessie S.: The ski industry is currently struggling to hire for seasonal positions. These roles are often vastly underpaid and undervalued, making it so that people cannot afford to stay any longer than a season or two. This is not a sustainable way to run a business. My hope is that with Millennials at the helm, we realize the importance of offering work conditions that allow more people to choose the ski industry as a career, not just a passing hobby.

WHAT IS SOMETHING YOU'VE LEARNED SINCE JOINING THE INDUSTRY THAT SURPRISED YOU?

Kelly K.: I think the intricacies of the resort are mindboggling sometimes. I don’t know if it was surprising, but it is just so impressive how many things have to be going right, and how many people have to be just killing it at their jobs for the resort to run properly. Even at small resorts like mine it is impressive, so I can’t even imagine what has to happen at the mega resorts.

A.C.: I’ve learned a lot about the importance of building strong relationships cross-departmentally. We are all in this together, and if there is no team spirit, depar

tments that operate in a silo can be damaging to the overall efforts.

Lisa T.: I’ve learned the importance of being a team player, and how far it goes, both at the resort and in the industry. There is no such thing as, “It isn’t my job.” 

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO THE NEXT GENERATION WANTING TO MAKE A CAREER IN THE SKI INDUSTRY?

Lisa T.: Have fun with it.

A.C.: Have fun and go the extra mile!

Zack M.: The relationships you make are everything.

Kelly K.: Be willing to get your hands dirty! But if you work hard, keep an open mind, and voice creative ideas, your work ethic will not be overlooked. Respect leadership, but push them to find creative new solutions. Oh yeah, and ski everyday... first chair on pow days :)

If you’d like to be a part of our next Millennial chat, or have an interest in mentoring an industry Millennial, SAM will be offering a monthly forum to help our future leaders grow. For details, email sarah@saminfo.com