How The Groove Cruise Started: Jason Beukema - The Groove Cruise/Whet Travel

SPEAKER_00 0:04

This is the Beyond the Story Podcast, a show that goes way beyond the story. And now, Sebastian Frust.

SPEAKER_01 0:26

Thank you for having me, sir. I didn't notice you without a uh bow tie on.

SPEAKER_00 0:31

That bow tie has since been retired. Good. It's so uncomfortable. Like I got, you know, people love the bow tie because they don't have to wear it.

SPEAKER_01 0:43

Right, right, right. I could not wear it.

SPEAKER_00 0:46

I am so much more comfortable in a Wu-Tang hoodie and a fresh pair of Jays than I'll ever be in the whole getup. But it served me well for a long time.

unknown 0:55

You know?

SPEAKER_00 0:56

But I don't say I love it. I have like I have like uh 35 bow ties, I think, and I have like this rack my mom bought me. So it they're on my wall, and I stare around them every day, but just for like memorial purposes, you know. I'm like, rest in peace, bow ties.

SPEAKER_01 1:10

Like a memorial. I love it.

SPEAKER_00 1:11

Yeah, it's crazy. So you and I were talking before the interview, like we go back, gosh, 10 years. That's crazy to even say, you know, a decade, and we're both in Miami, yet we met in Philly. And uh I had gotten my first book had just come out, Social Media Sucks. And um Advantage Media was my publisher, Adam Whitty, and he came out of the gates with like, hey, I got a speaking gig for you. Like, as soon as the book dropped and it worked out perfect, uh, Gary V was going to be keynoting, and it was for the entrepreneur organization, which I had absolutely no idea who they were, but I was thoroughly impressed with the entire experience, especially with that first touch point there in Philly, and then somebody referred me out to MC at the time I was an MC, and I MC'd EO Nerve, which was which was great. And then you and I got a chance to to reconnect again when when we were in Miami. Uh, but that trip I will never forget. I still chill, I still tell the story to this day, uh, because because the guy's a dear friend of mine now, but I will never forget Jack Daly ripping my ass wide open at midnight in the in the in the suite. That sounds crazy. Like verbally ripping it apart and walking into the suite, and uh, and I'm like walking around like I was a social media speaker. And Jack walks up to me, he goes, Oh, you were the social media guy? He goes, That was the worst fucking talk I've ever heard in my entire life. Yeah. And I'm like, what the f I'm like, what do you mean? He goes, listen, it's midnight, I'm a little drunk, and I don't need to fucking explain myself. And I'm like, whoa, Jack. I literally was like, I that was my first dose of like unsolicited feedback. And when I say I walk back to my room with my head between my, yeah, I mean just head down, and like I literally checked flights to leave. I literally, I was like, that's it. My career is over. This guy's right. I don't understand. And I'll never forget I finally got him. And I'm and I think I I think I either went, no, I yeah, when I left the suite, I just went for the night. I was like, I'm defeated. It was like one in the morning. But before I left, I wasn't taking no for an answer. And I'm like, dude, I know you don't want to talk right now or explain yourself. I don't even know who you are, but I've never had that type of you know, feet direct feedback unsolicited before. Like, I need to at least know where you're coming from. He said, not a problem. I talked at nine o'clock tomorrow morning. Be there after I do a QA. I'd love to have a couple uh a conversation with you, and I'll tell you exactly what I mean then. I'll see you in the morning, kid.

SPEAKER_01 3:47

So I went to such a bad.

SPEAKER_00 3:50

I know. I went back to my room, defeated, checked flights, got all in my feelings, and then I stood up and I said, like, is this what winning is made of? Do we just throw the towel in when it gets tough? Because this is just the beginning. You're three years into this dog. You think it's gonna get easier, it's just gonna get crazier. So, like me and one conversation, I'm like, cool, what are we gonna do? I'm like, dude, we're gonna wake up in the morning, we're gonna go, we're gonna sit front row to Jack's up. So I get done with Jack's talk. Bunch of people are wanting to talk to him the whole night. He's like, Listen, I'm short on time. Thanks for making it. Like his whole demeanor changed, clearly a season pro. And he said, uh, I don't have time to chat with you now, but we're going to the Phillies game. So you need to be in that suite. And I'm thinking, that game is like the ticket's like 250 bucks. Like I barely made it to Philly, right? And I thought, I never forget I bought that ticket. And then finally we sat down in the suite and he said, you know, you got something that most don't have, and I don't even have it. And it's stage presence and it's talent and it's a gift, but you gotta dial it in, you gotta slow it down a little bit and fine-tune it as well. And I tell you, that was the beginning of just an incredible friendship. Um, I haven't talked to him in a couple years, but always, you know, interacting with him on socials and whatnot, and just goes to show that uh the people that want to, you know, completely, you know, rip you a new one, if you will, are usually the ones that love you the most. But I don't know if you knew that story or not, but uh, I did it.

SPEAKER_01 5:09

Jack's an amazing human, man. That guy, his talks are through the roof. Oh, and he invited me to his Fort Lauderdale event and I spoke at it.

SPEAKER_00 5:16

Yeah. Oh, no way. Yeah, that was like two months later. Yeah, I know I've completely forgot about that. So yeah, wild. Anyway, I swear I got you on the podcast to talk about you on here, but that was kind of a relative story to like kick things off here. So shout out to the one and only Jack Daly for sure.

SPEAKER_01 5:32

Yeah, man.

SPEAKER_00 5:33

Crazy. So uh you and I started talking, uh, it was late night. It was in the lobby uh at the at the venue we were at there in Philly for the for the EO event. And you said, Oh, I I started a uh a cruise with a group of friends a while back and it turned into a business. And I'm like, the groove cruise? I'm like, you're groove cruise, Jason. And um and you said, I am, man. I was like, so I was like immediately curious, and I was like, so how did this whole thing start on here? And and you told me the story, and I was like, What? And here you are, like 20 years later, I think you guys just celebrated the 20th year.

SPEAKER_01 6:05

20 year anniversary is coming up in January.

SPEAKER_00 6:07

Dude, that is absolutely crazy. So let's back it up. Let's let's help everybody understand how the groove cruise became the groove cruise.

SPEAKER_01 6:14

Uh sure. So started it in 2004. There's a bunch that went into it leading up to that, but I have a degree in entrepreneurship from uh Central Michigan University and then got in corporate America, absolutely hated it, and um got involved in the travel industry, followed my passion and taking vacations and taking people on vacations, and then as a fun thing, put a group put a group of friends together to go on a cruise and then uh saw how much money the travel agency made off of me, and then I started up my own company. So the first cruise, I had 125 people that went on the first cruise from a 375-person email list that I had. And then I knew I was onto something because I saw like people's lives change, like people were just deeply bonded and deeply connected, and it was just the best time ever. It was it was amazing. So uh my business I put a business plan together to charter a cruise ship in five years, so basically double it every year. So do 125, 250, 500, 1000, 2000, which is the smallest mass marsh market cruise ship. So when I started, I had nobody, I didn't know anybody in the cruise industry, I didn't know one DJ or musician, and um yeah, just went after it person by person and just built it, but built it and built it. And uh long story short, it took me seven years to charter my first cruise ship. And since then, we've done 20, I believe 28 full ship cruises. And uh, we're Norwegian and Carnival's charter partner of the year. And what that means is basically renting a ship from Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Norwegian Celebrity Princess. They're two to well, almost 6,000 in the next one, um, two to six thousand person events for three to seven days. And then we basically take over the entire cruise ship and transform it into a once-in-a-lifetime experience for the community that we're targeting. So groove crews is electronic dance music, and then we've also done rock and country and heavy metal and yoga and uh salsa and board gamers and dental continued education crews coming up and wow, that's wild.

SPEAKER_00 8:14

I mean, it just I mean, it continued to just uh morph into you know, you once you had the concept down hey, know how to run a cruise ship, know how to put together an organized event, know how to get people on the event. It really I can it makes sense how it works with you know with with other genres. I I remember asking you, like, wow, running a cruise ship, like what does that take? And I think at the time it was a million bucks. Um double right now. Yeah, and then I I'm not shocked. And but I ask you that, and then you're like, I've never, you know, I have I've thought about that on there, but I was like, dude, what's it like to spend a million bucks to rent a cruise ship? And you're like, I've never really thought about that. I thought about just like this is how much it cost in order to like make it happen. Um, but so this is not your conventional cruise I'll see on the Lido deck for a Bahama Mama. You guys literally take over this entire, this entire cruise ship. I think you told me that even the dining hall isn't open, like the dining hall gets turned into a venue as well.

SPEAKER_01 9:11

Sometimes it depends on the ship. So we'll sometimes we'll crane like uh stages onto the pool deck and cover dance floor or cover pools to create a dance floor. So each ship is kind of different depending on the layout and stuff like that. Sometimes we we will use the dining room as a uh as a venue, as a turn it into a nightclub, if you will. Um, so on the next one coming up, which is in January, the 20-year anniversary, is the biggest cruise we've ever done. It's uh we have almost 5,000 people booked. It's actually sold out, but it's on the Norwegian Encore and it's uh has a race car track on it, it has laser tag, it has a VR pavilion, it has like slides that go over the sides of the ship, it has 40 bars and restaurants. Um that's insane. It's like a billion-dollar cruise ship, which, if you were to tell me 20 years ago that this kid whose dad is a teacher and mom is a secretary is gonna be renting a billion-dollar cruise ship someday. I mean, there's no way in hell that I even I would believe that. And I had pretty lofty goals when I first started it. Um but uh yeah, we're just uh on a mission to change the world and make people happy and uh you know connect connect communities with their passions, and that's what we do.

SPEAKER_00 10:24

That's amazing. Has anything else transpired outside of the cruises because of this movement?

SPEAKER_01 10:29

Uh so we've done like island takeovers. We did Groove Island, which was on Catalina. That was a whole lot of work. We had 12 hotel buyouts and ferries, yachts, helicopters, beach club. Like it was it was amazing of experience. Um, but yeah, we've done over 50 island events uh as well over the 20 years, and um we've done resorts, so yeah, done different different types of stuff, but mainly all in the travel experiential travel space.

SPEAKER_00 10:56

And you were doing the there was a charity aspect too on when you were doing these islands too, weren't you?

SPEAKER_01 11:00

Yeah, I've always had a charity aspect to to it. So I started um my foundation wet foundation over 10 years ago now. It's a 501c3. So we have a couple different programs. Um, we have destination donation that uh we work with generally orphanages or schools in the destinations that we go to, and we ask them like what do they need? Sometimes they need uh school supplies, clothing, um all different kinds of stuff. And then we basically bring those things and then we raise money if they need a new roof or if they need a new building or they need a new gym for the kids outside. And then we basically um, you know, go to the orphanage, um, you know, do a whole experience with the kids, art and uh yeah, all these different activities. And um, yeah, it's super impactful. Like some people, I would say most people that actually take part in the volunteer experience say it's the best part of groof crews, which is crazy because they're going there to, you know, party and have a good time and listen to music. But their most fame, their most favorite part is actually giving back and and um, you know, interacting with the kids. We've done that in different uh in Mexico and Jamaica and um uh various parts throughout the Caribbean and and uh so forth. And then we have uh a huge mental health focus um that we recently started. Uh we lost our production manager to suicide in May of last year, not last year, the year before. And um, that's it, me personally. Um, I've personally dealt with mental health myself in the beginning of COVID. It was a disaster. I was super depressed watching my baby that I've developed my whole life die overnight, if you will. Um and uh some family members that have dealt with mental health. I mean, if you're a human being, you've probably dealt with mental health recognizing the symptoms. Um, I kind of felt helpless because I didn't, you know, recognize the symptoms of this uh colleague of mine who took his life. And I've had a couple friends throughout the years take their lives, and it's just it just shook me. And I'm like, I gotta do something. So on board the ship, we do have mental health programming, um, suicide prevention um courses and journaling. Um, and then also we do a celebration of life for those who have lost loved ones, and it's a really beautiful ceremony where people can come up and talk about their loved one that they've lost, they can write a note to them, put it in a biodegradable wreath, and then we actually throw the wreath uh over the ship uh at sunset. It's really emotional, but the healing, the the the ocean is extremely powerful, extremely healing. Yeah. And I just had a decision one day of like, you know, doing that and uh allowing that space for people to to to grieve and to you know kind of process it a bit more because I think uh especially men in particular were really good at like internalizing our emotions and not letting things out. So yeah, just creating that space.

SPEAKER_00 13:49

Dude, I love that. Yeah, I've lost six people in the past say 10 years to suicide. So yeah, deeply, deeply passionate uh about it. And uh, you know, yeah, thank you, dude. And likewise, you know, it's never, but it also, you know, there there's you gotta find the good in it, even though it's it's absolutely tragic. And the good in it is our self-awareness of realizing it is never that bad. And there are resources available and tools available to be able to implement into your life where when chick gets hectic, it's okay to reach out and make a phone call. I mean, I I am I I'm the number one advocate of doing that. I will text a friend and go, I just want you to know today I'm not okay. Tomorrow I probably will be, but today I'm depression's winning today, and I just need to call somebody and remain accountable to it because that's you know, that's because it's a it's a uh it's a one-player game at times, and it doesn't have to be. You know what I mean? Totally. Yeah. So um that's the biggest thing.

SPEAKER_01 14:42

Yeah, biggest thing was just having somebody that's uh that you can go to to talk. I think that was one of the bigger things with um with that is just talking to someone, whether that's a friend or you know, professional or you know, other there's other avenues out there. We work with uh when the music stops, which is a music organization in the mental health space. But yeah, there's there's resources out there, but just talking to a friend in general, like you said, is is hugely beneficial.

SPEAKER_00 15:08

That's so great that you've implemented this. It's such, I mean, especially after 2020 when people just were like, what? And I think that's what you know that again, finding the good in everything. There was a lot of good out of the pandemic. Everybody knows how to use Zoom. Uh, everybody knows how to at least you know, start to identify their emotions and how they're feeling and mental health is in fact a real thing uh and all of us experience it, whether we wanted to or not, in some form or fashion on there. So I think that's a beautiful thing that came out of us literally being stuck at home and the entire, you know, pandemic on there. But, you know, you know, loud well, you know, one more time for the people in the back, right? So it's like a little bit louder on there to be able to continue to amplify that. I uh I started doing comedy about three years ago, uh just because yeah, just because naturally I'm a speaker and it like terrified me to do comedy. But at the same time, you know, if you can add some comedy into anybody's life, uh, I just happen to be okay at it. I don't know about Netflix special coming soon, but um I am available for cruises. Uh but you know, it's being somebody said to me, and I'm like, I hate going to these open mics and spending, you know, Tuesday night and you know at a bar at 10 o'clock at night. And someone said, Hey, maybe your comedy's not about you. And maybe somebody's going through it and they showed up that night to get a laugh, and you were the one to be able to facilitate that. So next time you think that your comedy is all about you, think about the person that actually that that's receiving on the receiving end there. And that keeps me in check. I'm like, damn it, no hiding.

SPEAKER_01 16:32

That's deep, man.

SPEAKER_00 16:33

It is, dude. It's definitely deep. It is. It it totally, it totally.

SPEAKER_01 16:37

Well, it like it comes back to going through all the shit too, man. That's that's exactly what keeps me going. It's like if I can, if I can transform someone's life, or or you know, we have four weddings on the next one, we had eight proposals on the last one, and just to be part of someone's life like that, I mean, I don't even care if I lose money, I don't even care like all the drama and shit I have to go through and like whatever with the cruise lines and dealing with multi-billion dollar public companies. Like, I don't, I don't really care. It's like in the end, I see those people and I see how happy they are and I see their, you know, their lives change, their eyes lit up, and like that life moment like that, and to be part of that is just very humbling.

SPEAKER_00 17:14

Yeah, I mean, that's you know, then it it's I would I I don't need to ask you why you're doing this, it's explicitly clear uh, you know, why you are. I mean, it it is a uh, you know, uh I like following the hashtag joy spotting on Instagram. I don't know if you've done it or not, but it's super dope. And it's the idea of being able to spot joy whenever you see it. If it's a beautiful flower or, you know, a uh a painted door or a sunset or and the stream is just awesome. And um, I always follow it. And you know, it's it's being able to to to you know identify joy uh individually for ourselves, but also being able to bring that joy to people, and that's you know what we get to do uh as entrepreneurs, in my opinion, you know?

SPEAKER_01 17:52

That's awesome.

SPEAKER_00 17:53

Yeah, I love that. Joy spotting. It is, it's great. Look it up, you'll love it. What uh what's been the biggest lesson over 20 years?

SPEAKER_01 18:02

Ooh, that's a good one. Uh that life begins at the end of your comfort zone. That's one of my that's the recent one that just kind of came about. And whenever I'm comfortable, I'm not learning. And I love putting myself in challenging situations and just uh, you know, burning the boats and just going for it. And uh I did that just last week. I just got I got accepted to the to the London School of Business with EO. It's called the Growth Forum. So there were 70 entrepreneurs from around the world. Nice. I didn't know one of them. I hated school, I was not looking back, looking forward to it. I had all these case studies of entrepreneurs' situations and all the shit we had to read. I read a couple of them and then I was tired, and and I was just it was like it was just like uh you know, uncomfortable as hell. Let's just put it that way. And uh, you know, they put you on the spot. We had these study groups and like all this stuff, and and yeah, it was it was tough, but I I rolled out of there with a whole new vision for myself, vision for the company, vision for the future. And uh yeah, it was it was amazing, lots of new great contacts and contacts and stuff and new ideas, and and yeah, so um yeah, I got accepted to Harvard in September as well, and uh yeah, just always learning and growing and taking action. I think that's that's something sometimes we get stuck in the analysis paralysis, and yeah, I'm more of for better or for worse. Uh my team is a ready aim fire, and nobody on my team is like me, which is great, but I'm more of a ready fire aim like, let's go for it, just figure it out as we go. Like, you know, we'll figure it out, we'll do the best we can, and that's great. And we're gonna fall on our face and get up again and keep going. So I think that's probably what uh what I've learned the most is just the biggest, the most successful people are the biggest failures, like yourself.

SPEAKER_00 19:55

Totally. Isn't that isn't that the truth? The only one that doesn't think I'm a failure is my mother. It's it's amazing. It it it really is. People say, What do you do, what do you do? I said, I'm a I'm a I'm a comedian and a speaker and a podcaster. All terrible career choices, but uh I got lucky, I guess.

SPEAKER_01 20:12

Exactly.

SPEAKER_00 20:14

But yeah, no, there's you know, the comfort zone is always is always available, you know, if you just want to do nothing. And um, you know, it's I I find I think the more that we evolve and the more our awareness increases, the more comfort you know, the the idea of being comfortable is is is less appealing, at least in in my opinion. And there's you know, we go through these, I mean, life's just a freaking roller coaster, you know, as it is, but when we and it's also getting around the right people, and you you've experienced that with EO and with the people that you get to to work with as well. And you know, I've been I jumped into this whole mastermind thing uh a couple of years back, and it's been a game changer. I mean, you you look back to th Think and Grow Rich. I mean, that was one of the principles they teach, it's like get into a good mastermind with like-minded individuals. I never really took into consideration proximity until I started to experience it and realize, dude, this shit is powerful. Like your life literally starts to change, and you start to level up by just being around other people that are where you want to be and are continually thinking forward and wanting to, you know, that what's next? What's next? And uh I just think it's you know incredibly incredibly powerful.

SPEAKER_01 21:21

Tony Robbins has been one of my biggest influences in my life, and he says that he says, like, your net worth is the average of the five people you spend the most time with. Yep.

SPEAKER_00 21:32

Yep. I and I spend a time, I try to spend my time with some rich motherfuckers. Like I I really do. Yeah, I I I always do. And I'm like, every time like they get a like a new McLaren, I'm like, cool, I'm gonna go get my my equinox shined up. You know what I mean? Because uh, and it's it's not even about the material things on here, it's just the fact of the freedom of being. I got a guy that runs our mastermind that I'm part of uh in in Dallas, just bought a ranch in Oklahoma. And like, dude's just full on ranch. Cows like learning the whole deal and building his forever house and gonna have retreats there. And like I'm like, dude, this is what it's all about. It's not about the stuff, it's about the ability to buy the stuff and the freedom and flexibility. And most importantly, for me, I finally arrived and figured out like why do you want to be rich? People used to ask me I'm like, duh. I I because of the freedom that it provides and the and the and the resources to literally impact and change someone's lives for the better because of your success. And when you arrive at that place and being able to take care of my family and you know, make sure my daughter's squared and all that all that comes along with it. But for a long time, I was like, I don't know why I want to be rich. I just, I mean, why not? Uh, but when you when you figure it out, it's it it's a it's a whole different perspective. And I'm not there yet, but I'm a hell of a lot closer than I was yesterday.

SPEAKER_01 22:48

Definitely, definitely.

SPEAKER_00 22:50

Well, dude, it's been great to to catch up with you, man.

SPEAKER_01 22:52

And um, it's been great to catch up with you.

SPEAKER_00 22:55

Yeah, I was on a uh I had a gig on a cruise ship in January, and uh I was like, my buddy Jason started the Groove Cruise and like Groove Cruise Jason and I'm like, I know him. I'm like, listen, dog, everybody knows Jason, okay? But then I message you on Facebook and you're like, dude, I never check messenger. You got back to me like four weeks later. You're like, I never check messenger. Text me, and I'm like, how do I not have your number? Like I searched for it on the because I had you saved as Groove Cruise Jason instead of Jason Puka. So uh, but dude, it's great to great to connect. We'll have to get together because uh obviously we're both in each other's backyard here and uh get a get a full download and catch up. What's that?

SPEAKER_01 23:34

Go to a Wu Tang concert.

SPEAKER_00 23:35

Yeah, let's go. They were over in Wynwood a couple years ago. Like that wait a second though, but ODB's not he's not around, you know. Like, is it really Wu Tang? But but dude, the the the Wu Tang Forever special on Hulu is legit, bro. Yeah, it tells the entire story, the acting is on point. The guy who plays Method Man is like, dude, is that meth? Um yeah, so if you're a Wu Tang fan, 90s kid, um you'll you'll uh you'll you'll appreciate it for sure. Well, dude, thanks for uh thanks for making some time uh to to hang out for a few minutes. It's been great to uh to chat and catch up and congrats on all your success. It's it's so freaking well deserved because I've seen it all unfold and uh I believe in what you're doing and what you're continuing to do and all these new updates that you're given. I'm like, I'm not shocked. I'm just even more excited, you know, about uh about what you're doing. Any any final thoughts for our listeners?

SPEAKER_01 24:26

Yeah, you too. Congrats on all your success. Um, final thoughts, just um, you know, I don't know.

SPEAKER_00 24:32

Go on the groove cruise.

SPEAKER_01 24:33

Find those find those joy, the joy spotting. I mean, I love that. Joy spotting, that's great.

SPEAKER_00 24:37

Wu Tang and Joy Spotting. I mean follow me.

SPEAKER_01 24:40

I'm at Travel Jason on socials, Instagram, and all that, and then uh at groove cruise at Wet Travel.

SPEAKER_00 24:46

Yeah, yeah, connect with him. He's a great human to uh to be in touch with and great community going on over there at the groove cruise. Maybe one of these days I will uh make it on a groove cruise. Remember, I told you, I'm like, I don't know. That's a little not that's not really my speed. I'm kind of slowed it down at my age here. You're like, dude, my parents go on everyone.

SPEAKER_01 25:00

Yeah, exactly. Exactly.

SPEAKER_00 25:02

And I was like, I did the Homer backing into the bushes, you know. Hey, 20th, 20th anniversary. I mean, even though it's sold out, I mean, whether there's a will, there's a way. Who knows? Anything's possible.

SPEAKER_01 25:13

Yeah, you never know, man. Never know. Come hang out with Siesto and Dipolo, John Summit.

SPEAKER_00 25:17

No, no big deal. Yeah, just a couple names of a couple DJs doing a couple two, three things. Thanks again, Jay. All right, brother. Thank you, man. Appreciate you. You got it. Until next time, friends. Thanks so much for tuning into this episode of the Beyond the Story podcast. Be sure to appreciate it. If you haven't done so already, make sure you're subscribed to the show. This way you'll get updates as new episodes become available. If you feel so inclined, please leave us a review. We sure do appreciate it. Signing off from the podcast, launchlab.com studios. We'll talk to you next time.