Santa Claus Magic... Fairy Dust? Or Real Answers to Impossible Questions

Santa Claus and The LAST of the Modern MAGIC

by Susen Mesco, Master Santa Claus Trainer 
at Professional Santa Claus School Conference, Denver, CO 
Tuesday, May 11, 2010 at 8:58pm

Santa Claus & “the fairy dust” 

Just what makes Santa Claus “MAGIC?”

After 28 years of training Santa Claus’, I have heard an awful lot of Santas squirming out of tough questions with the old “fairy dust” routine. My reindeer fly… I make it around the world…. I fit all the gifts into the sleigh… and some Santas even carry a little bag of glitter to toss about to prove they use “fairy dust.”

Today’s children NEED MAGIC in their lives! Children see violence on TV, hear way too much about sex, divorce, war, terrorists, school shootings, politics, the economy and kidnappings. We MUST REMEMBER that children today are exposed to all “reality” this without having the maturity of a “point of reference” to process it all properly. 5 year olds are running computers and needing cell phones- like we needed marbles, bikes and balls. Our world was our neighborhood. The world of children today is electronic, instant and global. They live in a very huge, very REAL world. 

Santa Claus is the last of the modern magic. The magic we present to these children needs to match their sophistication. Not that we should have them growing up any faster than they already are but… Santa HAS to be even more believable than back in the 40’s and 50’s. 

The idea of “fairy dust” may be cute but it is 100% a cop out. Just wait until they ask you to use it in front of them to do something fantastic and poof, all there is, is a big mess of glitter on the carpet. “Santa! Use your fairy dust to make ME fly!” Then what? Oops!

As you consider the many questions children have, will and may ask you, coming up with a magical, believable, perhaps relatively short but eccentrically complicated answer is so much more “Santa-like” from a 1310 year old, bearded, hero than sprinkling around some dime store glitter!

Creating a quality 3-D character of Santa Claus is so much more solid than relying on “fairy dust.”

It takes a LOT of forethought. You can do it! And You CAN do it better without the “fairy dust!” 

Enjoy being the very best Santa you can and being confident in answering those questions!

We teach a whole 2 hour segment and provide you with a FORMULA to answer ANY tough or impossible question (without the Fairy Dust!)

Spend a LOT of time thinking about possible questions and plausible answers until you have a formula of your own or acquire ours! YOU CAN DO IT!

Susen Mesco

Master Santa Claus Trainer since 1983!

31st Annual ProfessionalSanta Claus School Conference 2013

Professional Santas Doing FREEBIES / CHARITY EVENTS

Professional Santas Doing FREEBIES / CHARITY EVENTS

Those of you who are on Facebook with us, know, and may even have participated in the discussions and commentaries about the lady, who called our offices, late one evening, requesting 26 Santas in full dress reds… for FREE! (FREE?)… Yes! F R E E… She wasn’t with a non-profit or a children’s organization, she ran a business and needed Santas for a Christmas In July event. She was asking for an outrageous number of Santas, (and for 30 only minutes). Dry cleaning of 26 suits at $20 each… $520….

Stunned & shocked, I needed FB therapy, AFTER she came unglued, called me names & rudely hung up on me. It was too late to call anyone with my “situation”. Santa is always around on Facebook! (Therapy went well. We had some great comments! Needless to say, she is now OFF Santa’s List!) But that’s not the point. So let’s talk about FREEBIES…

American Events has been training and booking out Professional Santas for events for 29 years… We’ve heard it all - from paintball Santa to roller coaster Santa, cookie/baking contest judge Santa, magazine cover Santa, sleigh ride Santa and even “stripper” Santa (which we do NOT ever provide!) But 26 Santas? Mid-July? For only 30 minutes? For FREE? For a business event? We love giving back! We love doing Santa Claus visit FREEBIES! We plan ahead for holiday FREEBIE events for many folks (on the “NICE LIST.”)

Let’s talk about Santa Claus doing “FREE” events…

There are many times when Santa Claus, doing a “freebie” for a charity or non-profit event… is a GOOD thing! I highly recommend doing some FREEBIE GIGS for Santas!

• Doing FREEBIE events is great for NEW Santas

1. Do as many as you can!

2. To get some experience… hone their performances without the stress

3. To make some contacts to build a new Santa Claus business

4. To pass out some business cards for this or next year’s events

5. To figure out what kinds of events you, a new Santa Claus, like to do best.

• Doing FREEBIE events is great for VETERAN Santas!

1. Do 1-2 a year

2. It puts you into different circles to make new contacts

3. Allows you to try new aspects of your performances, BEFORE you add them into events, with paying clients

4. It is fun and good for the soul & keeps Santa humble

5. It is always nice to give back!

Doing FREEBIES should not, ideally, interfere with your “prime” income days and hours. Nothing like performing free at a charity event on Saturday morning, knowing you elected to pass up a really high paying gig, to be there.

• The Boy/Girl Scouts can surely reschedule their meeting for a Monday night instead of Saturday to have a FREE Santa Claus.

• That photo fund raiser can move to a Sunday afternoon “hole” in your schedule.

• The children’s ward, at the local hospital, can have their gathering on a Tuesday morning.

• All Day Cares have flexible schedules… aside from their “snack” or “lunchtime” routines.

Santa Claus usually only works 4-5 weeks of the year, so maximizing your income is critical.

(Does the plumber, the one with the big heart, come out last minute on a Saturday night, just because your water heater broke? Maybe he does, but on your bill, there’s a line that says, “Emergency Service Fee”… the big “ouch!”)

Last time any doctor made a “house call,” was back in the 1950’s! Emergency room visits now run into the thousands! Ugh!

And NO! It is NOT, absolutely NOT about “the money!”

The children, the spirit of the holiday, the tradition, the love should ALL come first… the money will follow. Santa Claus, as an “industry” has truly grown and evolved over the past 25 years. It is serious business now! Realistically, most Santas are retired / semi-retired and “play Santa” for a little (or a lot of) extra income. All of the guys who attend our school have huge hearts, but they also want to be reimbursed on some level for their efforts, talents, time and newly learned career.

There are business expenses, even in this seasonal career-

Your suit & accessories, travel, insurance, even the cost of printing your business cards… Do not undercut yourself, others in the Santa industry or cheapen the experience. We KNOW you have a good heart! Let’s all keep working to spiral the Santa industry as a respected, necessary & valuable profession!

Price yourself according to your skill, education level, experience and what you will provide as performance for the client. (Parades are the highest profile, most fun, easiest work… but the pay is usually minimal for local parades… Oh well! They are a hoot!)

• Select a few worthy non-profits; charities, organizations, church or school - dear to your heart

• Schedule a Santa Claus event with them, EARLY in the year, (March or April)

• For an “off-peak” time / day that works best, around your schedule.

Naughty to Nice List-ers: Last-minute charities or non-profits that call Thursday evening for a Saturday morning event… (your Saturdays are all booked up!) Pass along / “network” this referral to a NEW Santa Claus in your area, so he can get the experience. Hopefully, he may be available. If not, they will end up renting a Santa costume, throw an uncle into it and somebody will quickly recognize the real value of a Santa. They WILL plan ahead for next year. Put them on your “Nice List” to call them early or encourage the new Santa to pick this up as one of his lesser paying “gigs” for next season.

By all means…. Do some FREEBIES!

Enjoy doing them!

Plan ahead to be able to give generously, from the heart.

Treat your business seriously, as much fun as it is, and your clients will then respect and appreciate your business, too!

Susen Mesco

Master Santa Claus Trainer since 1983!

31st Annual ProfessionalSanta Claus School Conference 2013

Santa’s Beard- Natural or Embellished?

Santa’s Beard- Natural or Embellished?

by Susen Mesco, Master Santa Claus Trainer at Professional Santa Claus School since 1983!

Thursday, May 27, 2010 at 9:20pm

Are “natural” bearded Santas better than “embellished” Santas?

The most recognizable outward symbol of Santa Claus is his beard.Santa Claus starts IN THE HEART! Santa Claus is all about caring and love and tradition… Being a true, earthly representation of this magical and RELIGIOUS season is a lofty and serious responsibility! We cannot forget why we are here, what our job is, and the real meaning of the season!

Most “natural” bearded Santas are very proud of their snowy white beards. (There are even associations geared ONLY for gentlemen who have white whiskers who enjoy dressing as Santa Claus during the Christmas season. ) And YES! A picture perfect Santa Claus is a marvelous sight!

Over the years,many, many men without bushy white whiskers have attended Professional Santa Claus School. For many reasons they don’t have natural beards: military, job safety, wife doesn’t like the whiskers, can’t grow a full beard or they just do not want. Yet their hearts and desires, are exactly the same as fellows with natural beards. When they don the uncomfortable strap on or spirit gum beards, they are constantly (often painfully) reminded they are no longer Joe or Bob or Keith. They are portraying Santa Claus! An entirely different BEing.

The hardest thing for “natural” bearded Santas is, toturn on and REMAIN tuned in to: the different persona of Santa Claus because they are so comfortable in their own beard which they wear year round.”Natural” bearded Santas often rely solely on the way they look to convince their audience they are Santa Claus, while their actions fall back into the characteristics of Fred or Bill. Santa Claus is so much more 3-Dimensional!

Having a clear mindset as to “Who is Santa Claus?” and “How is Santa different and unique from your mortal being?” is essential to maintaining a quality character of St. Nick for a long-term period of 4-7 hours. Being too comfortable allows us to slip back into our daily self after 30 or so minutes of “playing” Santa Claus.

Here are some questions to work on to maintain your character if you have one of the beautiful white beards year round:

Who is Santa Claus? Who SHOULD Santa / I BE?

How am I like Santa? How am I different?  

What transformations/changes come over me, when I put on the red suit?

What triggers do I use to help me maintain the transformation over long periods of time and through 500 lap visits?

Do I speak of “myself” as two completely separate personas? Harold & Santa?

Have I spent considerable time developing my Santa Claus persona?

Beyond the basics that everyone knows about Santa Claus, what magical additions have I incorporated?

When I am tired, after 200 lap visits, how do I re-energize myself to keep up the magic of this traditional character?

If I am speaking to someone on the phone, could I carry on a 2 hour conversation with them AS Santa? How would they be aware that they are speaking to Santa Claus & not ME?

Although having a quality natural beard is much more comfortable, it can be so comfortable that it allows you to easily slip back into your personality, rather than remaining as Santa Claus. 

The fellows who venture into the chair with the embellished beards are painfully reminded they are NOT themselves every time they move or talk.

ALL Santas deserve respect and honor for the love they share and the magic they bring to the children of the world.

No one type of Santa Claus (natural or embellished) is more desirable than another in the eyes of the child who reveres and dreams of the time he/she will spend chatting with our last mythical hero. It is the love, care and joy that beams from Santa Claus that makes him so charismatic, not the costume or the kind of beard.

Santas! United in your missions to spread the essence of the season of Christmas! Be the best example of the tradition you can be by portraying Santa 100%, 100% of your stage time. Share, with each other, the respect and concern for each other, natural bears or embellished, as you do for the children. 

THINK ABOUT how to be the best Santa you can be, even through those long gigs and mall days!

How do you stay in character for the children? Share your thoughts with all of us!

SusenMesco, Master Santa Claus Trainer since 1983.

31st Annual Professional Santa Claus School Conference 2013