Teamwork, Leadership, and the Ultimate Thrill Ride
Rendering of the new Fins Up Falls attraction at Margaritaville Lanier IslandsFrom LinkedIn“Growth is never mere chance; it is the result of forces working together.”
When we assemble the right team, achieving the seemingly impossible becomes possible. Sometimes, it’s identifying the right people and resources within the organization. Other times, it’s leaning into an existing partnership or hiring an outside expert. Many times, it’s a mix. Galvanizing a disparate team to work seamlessly together can be a wild ride. We’re utilizing team leadership strategies developed over the years to build a team to complete our latest endeavor, Fins Up Falls: the highest ride and first water coaster in Georgia.
A NORTH STAR
The most effective sports coaches, military generals, and business leaders understand that the key to maximizing the power of a team is to focus on a single-minded objective. Having a North Star provides a clear and constant vision of the end goal. In our case, the end goal is serious business: creating a ride that’s pure fun.
Go Outdoors’ property, Margaritaville Lanier Islands, is located in Buford, Georgia, on beautiful Lake Lanier, about 45 minutes from Atlanta. With a marina, RV resort, cabins, glamping tents, and an exciting water park, it’s already the ultimate getaway.
Now, we are envisioning the addition of a signature thrill ride. With a significant wow factor. Something amazing. And yet designed to appeal to a wide audience. Building the right leadership team for the job is a crucial first step.
Aerial view of the Wave Pool,
part of Fins Up WaterPark, Margaritaville Lanier IslandsKEEP AN EYE ON THE PRIZE
Dale Kaetzel Go Outdoors President of Entertainment, is the internal leader for this project. With a background in strategic planning and execution for major theme parks, professional sports franchises, events, and venues, he has the experience, expertise, and vision to reach our goal.
Dale compares his role to being mayor of a town overseeing a wide variety of entities responsible for various aspects of a community. He has to ensure each area runs smoothly, problem-solve when they don’t, anticipate and avoid problems, and keep the project momentum moving forward. But through it all, he remains laser-focused on Go Outdoors’ service mentality.
“In everything we do, we are focused on our guests. We know that everyday life is challenging. So when guests enter our property and spend their hard-earned money with us, we are obligated to provide an escape and experience that’s worth it. We can’t ever lose sight of this.”
BRING IN THE BIG GUNS
Over the years, we’ve worked closely with John Finch CEO and co-owner of PBG Builders, Inc. as our Owner Representative for some of our most significant initiatives.
Since 1991, PBG Builders has completed over $700 million of construction contracts. Their projects include manufacturing facilities, historic renovation and preservation, hospitals and surgery centers, hotels, RV parks, marinas, airports, and stadiums.
One of PBG Builders many projects: Nissan Stadium – home to the Tennessee Titans NFL team, NashvilleJohn fully understands the construction business: he speaks the language and anticipates and resolves problems successfully, avoiding litigation or arbitration. He has consistently stayed on schedule and on budget. With this new project's sheer size and construction complexity, John is an essential addition to the team.
“The partnership between PBG Builders and GoOutdoors began during a significant project in 2017. Despite many challenges, we worked together as a team employing transparency, keen attention to detail, and early identification of roadblocks, focusing on the small stuff to make sure the team got the big stuff right, and a tremendous joint effort to bring that $82mm project in on time and within budget. Out of that experience, a mutual trust was forged that guides everything we do today, including here at Margaritaville Lanier Islands. We appreciate our relationship and the chance to help GoOutdoors achieve their goals of guest satisfaction and creating loyal fans. We take pride in our association with this amazing property and its guests.”
Dale Kaetzel equates John’s role to being the conductor of an orchestra, coordinating the timing and implementation of every contractor and vendor. Each comes with a unique set of challenges. Site preparation and foundation construction must withstand the weight of massive slides with crowds of people. Plus, adhere to strict safety regulations. The unique plumbing, water management, and electrical systems required to power the water coaster and slides are truly epic in proportion. Every day brings new challenges and unexpected considerations. Even international conflicts across the globe that impact material delivery. If John is a symphony conductor, we know a superhero uniform is under his tux.
LEAN INTO PARTNERS
Our brand partner, Margaritaville, is a global lifestyle brand inspired by the lyrics and lifestyle of singer, songwriter, and best-selling author Jimmy Buffett. Every year, more than 20 million travelers visit a Margaritaville resort, residential real estate destination, vacation club, vacation home rental, or restaurant. Their “changes in latitude, changes in attitude” philosophy permeates every inch of our property and will extend to the new signature thrill ride.
We considered this when determining our slide vendor. With a choice of options from several highly respected and talented companies, we landed on the slide design from Whitewater West. In addition to the monumental and unforgettable water coaster, two entry-level slides will provide fun and excitement with unique aqualucent features. These add surprise bursts of color and light to unveil the twists and turns ahead, heightening sensations and creating a memorable experience guests will discuss for weeks and months. Old or young, thrill seeker or chill seeker, our new attraction will have something for everyone.
APTITUDE…AND ATTITUDE:
With great leaders in place, success isn’t always assured. Team building isn’t just about picking members with the right skills and expertise. An essential piece - often fatally overlooked - is building a team with the right attitude. In a project of this scope, each member is an accomplished leader in their own right. It takes a particular personality to acknowledge the leadership of another, put aside ego, and work side-by-side to accomplish a shared goal.
When Dale Kaetzel discusses Go Outdoors’ service mentality, he quickly points out that it extends beyond our guests, “At the company, everyone works in service to each other, too.” "We each have a part to play, and I believe we are better together,” adds John Finch. Aptitude is essential when building a leadership team, but a shared attitude is crucial to success.
John Finch and Dale Kaetzel on-site at Margaritaville Lanier IslandsLET THE GAMES BEGIN:
Our team has begun the initial phase of building our new signature thrill ride. The project design will utilize the park’s expansive property to offer guests the broadest range of slides and experiences. While we eagerly await the completion of this exciting new attraction, we feel confident that we’ve assembled a strong team designed to succeed.
“The goal is to ensure everyone is rowing in the same direction. We can count on rough seas ahead. But when everyone is rowing in the same direction, we know we’ll get through it.”
“The mutual trust and confidence we have in each other is magic and helps make these projects fun….after all, we’re in the business of delivering fun!”