Latest / The Starfish Storytellers / Season 4, Episode 12: The Story of Santa - How to Bring Magic to Life Through Storytelling with Ed Taylor

Transcript

Season 4, Episode 12: The Story of Santa - How to Bring Magic to Life Through Storytelling with Ed Taylor · The Starfish Storytellers

0:00
Welcome to the starfish storytellers the podcast
0:03
that makes a difference one story at a time by
0:05
bringing storytelling to life You know for me
0:21
it starts on Wednesday and it's remarkable that
0:23
I have this day down But it was Wednesday July
0:27
16th. So just this past summer And I was driving
0:30
through the mountains in Northern California,
0:32
near Mount Shasta. I live in Southern Oregon,
0:35
but I go to Southern California a lot. I work
0:38
down there a lot. I have a lot of family down
0:40
there, so I've probably driven this stretch a
0:43
hundred times. And it's amazing. Beautiful mountains.
0:47
And this particular morning, again, July, it's
0:50
warm. The windows are down. And there's just
0:55
something about that, at least for me, I guess
0:57
maybe not for everybody, but just smell that
0:59
summer forest in the early morning. And then
1:03
bam, I was just hit with this concept. I mean,
1:08
it wasn't an idea so much as like, this thing,
1:12
you have to do this. And it's like, where did
1:14
that come from? And here's what kind of just
1:18
smacked me, right? you know, it's fresh in my
1:21
mind. I can still just feel it. It was this thought
1:25
that these kids, that when they get seven, eight,
1:29
nine years old, that this belief system, this
1:32
belief structure that they've had their whole
1:35
lives, right, about Santa Claus, about the North
1:39
Pole about the helper elves about all this stuff
1:42
right and about that naughty and nice list being
1:45
kind and considerate and thoughtful and generous
1:47
and all the the virtues that we build into Santa
1:51
Claus at some point it's very common for that
1:55
kind of just be yanked right from under them
1:58
like never mind that that that you know all that
2:01
wasn't true right it just all make believe and
2:04
and again I've been portraying Santa for well
2:06
over 20 years now And I'd always had some kind
2:11
of grasp of that. That was kind of the next step.
2:14
We called it going from a believer to a helper.
2:18
But it dawned on me in that moment that there
2:20
ought to be like a bridging ceremony, some kind
2:24
of something. It's an event. It's special. They
2:26
don't want the rug yanked out from under them.
2:28
What we need is something that takes them to
2:31
that next level of belief so we can invest all
2:34
that they have into that first... bunch of years,
2:37
five, six, seven years, eight years, nine years
2:40
even, of belief, now invest that into really
2:44
what the future is, right? The future is at Santa
2:47
Claus, and all this stuff is pouring into my
2:49
mind, right? And I still have a long drive in
2:52
front of me. I'm going down I -5 in Northern
2:55
California there, and I'm just, I'm hit by this.
2:58
I'm thinking, oh my goodness, this is just exactly
3:01
what needs to happen. instantly convinced that
3:05
this is my next mission in life. And in the next
3:08
eight or nine hours, I'm driving down this freeway.
3:12
And thank goodness, it was just a beautiful day,
3:15
no traffic, just gorgeous time to be driving
3:18
along. And all these thoughts start weaving together
3:22
about the ceremony and the understanding. So
3:27
we can take a child and all these thoughts of
3:30
like... How do we get this child to say that
3:33
Santa's still real, very much like he is very
3:36
real, but he's different than what you thought.
3:39
How do I explain that to a seven -year -old?
3:42
And I happen to have a seven -year -old and five
3:44
-year -old grandchildren, a seven -year -old
3:46
granddaughter, a five -year -old grandson, who
3:47
are actually in the other room right now. And
3:50
so I'm thinking, how would I explain it to them?
3:53
And it's like, here's what it is. It's like we
3:56
think of Santa Claus in this believer stage.
3:59
as a soloist right somebody that's leading the
4:02
charge as opposed to a choir when we get to our
4:06
age we get to that adult it's like santa claus
4:08
is still very real it's just all of us right
4:11
we all all of us who choose to participate in
4:13
santa claus become him right we're all in the
4:16
aggregate we're the choir that is santa claus
4:19
And I think, oh, this is awesome, right? I'm
4:21
getting chills, you know? This is exactly a tradition
4:25
that needs to exist. It seems like, like, how
4:28
could we get this far along in the Santa story
4:30
and not have this already in place? So anyway,
4:36
within hours, you know, I'm going in processes
4:40
to get the name out there and to get some concept
4:43
out. So I spent the next several days in Southern
4:46
California. doing Santa things and family things
4:49
and going to the tailor I use down there. It's
4:53
actually Santa Claus for a child's birthday party
4:55
when I was in town. But that is kind of what's
5:02
cued me up to you and to a lot of others. I just
5:06
want to get the word out about this concept of
5:10
a golden Christmas. That's what we've come to
5:13
call this golden Christmas. And so what this
5:18
all sat on top of was that what I did earlier
5:21
this year, in the early part of 2025, I wrote
5:25
this book called Bexley and Thayer, The Mystery
5:28
of Santa Claus. And so this concept, and I didn't
5:32
have the golden Christmas concept when I wrote
5:34
the book, but it is taking the kids from this
5:38
belief in Santa to a greater belief that they
5:41
are part of Santa. I just didn't have the idea
5:45
of having a a formal kind of recognition. We
5:49
didn't give it a name. So that's where I'm at
5:53
this year. For many, many years I've been blessed
5:56
with doing all kinds of wonderful Santa things,
5:58
you know, and very often this year we're doing
6:01
television shoots and all kinds of neat things.
6:05
But this year my mission has shifted a little
6:07
bit. I just feel like I just want this to become
6:10
a tradition. So hopefully we'll have some listeners
6:14
here who will... I think this is a good idea.
6:17
We have a bunch of free resources for them over
6:19
at TheGoldenChristmas .com. Again, all this stuff
6:23
just came about really, really quickly. So anyway,
6:26
that's what brought us together, and I'm excited
6:30
about it. Hello, my name is Liana Henry and welcome
6:52
to the starfish storytellers I'm the CEO of the
6:55
black dog group a marcom and project management
6:58
firm headquartered on the east coast of the US
7:00
in quaint colonial Bedford, Massachusetts I'm
7:03
your host and passionate about storytelling.
7:05
I'm actually on a mission to raise up the next
7:08
generation of storytellers We've named ourselves
7:10
the starfish storytellers after the starfish
7:13
story. The moral of the starfish story is based
7:15
on the power of one No matter how big the challenge,
7:19
each action we take makes a difference and has
7:21
an impact. One step, one starfish, or one story
7:25
at a time. Every episode, we welcome a new storyteller
7:28
who will share their story meant to inspire and
7:30
connect with you. Then we'll break it down and
7:33
offer tips for any listeners who are ready to
7:35
tell their own stories. So thanks for tuning
7:37
in. Now let's get started. Today's episode is
7:41
the story of Santa. How to bring magic to life
7:44
through storytelling. And this episode isn't
7:46
just about a man in a red suit. It's about the
7:49
deeper art of bringing wonder, joy, and connection
7:51
into the lives of others. Today we want to explore
7:54
how Santa is more than a holiday figure. He's
7:57
a master storyteller, a keeper of tradition,
8:00
and a living example of generosity and action.
8:03
From the magic in a child's eyes to the lessons
8:05
we learn into adulthood, the story of Santa teaches
8:08
us about kindness, courage, and the power of
8:11
belief. And who better to take us on this journey
8:14
than our guest, Ed Taylor, one of the most requested
8:17
Santas in the world. He has appeared in commercials
8:20
for brands like Chrysler, Kohl's, and Ready Whip,
8:24
and on shows like Jimmy Kimmel Live, The Today
8:26
Show, and The Talk. Ed has spent years perfecting
8:30
that magic, not only bringing Santa to life for
8:33
audiences of all ages, but also teaching others
8:35
how to embody this story with authenticity and
8:38
heart. So I gotta tell you, I feel like... This
8:41
is the first time I've had such a celebrity on
8:43
my show. So I really appreciate you being here.
8:46
Oh, thank you. You know, I hear all that stuff
8:51
and it's just hard to believe it's my life, right?
8:54
I mean, I didn't ever set out to do any of this
8:56
Hollywood stuff or anything like that. And it's
8:59
like, it's just kind of, I tell you, it amazes
9:03
me as much as anybody. I certainly don't feel
9:05
like any kind of a celebrity, just a guy that
9:08
became passionate about a very unusual subject,
9:12
right? And these doors just kind of magically
9:16
open, maybe like Santa Claus, like Santa Claus
9:19
magically appears in these homes. These doors
9:21
magically opened for me, I think. You know, I
9:26
guess you're going to be able to talk a little
9:29
bit more about this because I'm going to ask
9:30
you a couple of questions about your guild, your
9:33
Santa Guild. But I would imagine that being Santa,
9:40
becoming Santa isn't for everyone. That just
9:43
because you have a beard and put on a red suit,
9:47
there's more to it than that. Yeah, way more.
9:51
And in fact, that's probably... I mean, that's
9:53
the most recognizable traits, I suppose, but
9:56
it is probably the least likely determinant as
10:00
to whether or not somebody would be a great Santa.
10:02
There's a lot of... bigger guys with white beards
10:05
that uh yeah just just don't um have the heart
10:09
for it and maybe or any interest in it uh you
10:12
know one of the things that that i have found
10:14
and again i've had the opportunity to work with
10:16
thousands of santas across the country and around
10:19
the world now and um and and there's we call
10:22
it the santa heart which you know i mean doesn't
10:24
really mean anything but there's maybe a these
10:28
character traits of being optimistic looking
10:30
at the bright side um being the kind of person
10:34
that's quick to praise and slow to find fault.
10:39
When those are your core values, it's much easier.
10:44
to overlay Santa. But when your natural inclination
10:48
is to be snarky or sarcastic or any of those
10:53
kinds of things, it's a little harder to make
10:56
that mental shift, I think. But we work on it.
10:59
A big part of what we do is professional development,
11:02
but we also have a personal development angle
11:04
because there's a lot of guys out there that
11:07
are 55, 60 and up who get to this point in their
11:12
life and they say, you know what? I'm not necessarily
11:14
the kind of person on the outside that I would
11:18
like to be on the inside. There's still an incongruency
11:21
that we try to smooth out. And it's harder, I
11:25
think, for a lot of guys when you're in your
11:27
30s, 40s, even 50s, that maybe a macho thing
11:32
and a work ethic thing and all this stuff that
11:35
we kind of let go of and can be... nicer and
11:38
gentler and more of an inspiration wiser And
11:42
Santa helped me do that and I think helps a lot
11:45
of people do that. Mm -hmm. Yeah I want to kick
11:51
off because we've been chatting away and I just
11:53
really want to get into it But usually we kick
11:56
off with an introduction. Did you want to share
11:59
anything else with our listeners? Yeah, sure,
12:02
you know, so again, I'm Ed Taylor that you know
12:06
that just this guy that has an interesting...
12:10
life story like everybody that gets to be, I'm
12:13
71, you know, you get to be 71 and you look back
12:16
and you think, oh my goodness, there was years
12:18
when I was a commercial fisherman, right? That's
12:20
crazy. It's hard to imagine. I was in my twenties
12:23
and prior to that I was a bricklayer and a mason.
12:25
And after that I became a salesperson and a real
12:29
estate agent. I had all these little phases through
12:31
my life and the times that were economically
12:35
nice and other times which like, oh my goodness,
12:37
I can't believe we're going through this, you
12:39
know. And like so many of us, that your life
12:44
just unfolds in ways that are unpredictable with
12:48
heartwarming things and tragedies. And that's
12:51
me, just like I think all the rest of us. And
12:55
in 2003, I was at the time I owned a small business,
13:00
a marketing company in Ashland, Oregon. A friend
13:04
of mine had volunteered himself to be Santa Claus
13:07
for some little fundraiser. And he was sick.
13:10
He came down sick. And he asked me if I would
13:12
do it for him. And I'm thinking, you know, come
13:14
on, really. You know, I didn't look like this.
13:17
You know, I didn't have the long beard. I had
13:19
a short beard. But reluctantly, I said yes. It
13:23
seemed like it was a good cause that he was doing.
13:25
And they had rented all the equipment and everything.
13:28
And I tell you, I walked into that room and they...
13:31
eyes lit up and everybody was so happy to see
13:34
Santa and it's like, I love this. This is the
13:38
neatest thing. A friend of mine, I was telling
13:41
this to a friend of mine later, a different friend.
13:43
And he said, it's like your Santa gene awoke.
13:47
That's exactly what it's like. I didn't know
13:49
I had a Santa gene, but it was like, it came
13:52
to life. And I told my wife afterwards, she came
13:55
and picked me up. She had dropped me off at this
13:57
location and came to pick me up later. And I
14:00
said, I'll do this for anybody that'll have me.
14:04
This is so much fun. So I spent the next seven
14:08
years volunteering as Santa for everything from
14:13
the women's shelter to the Make -A -Wish Foundation
14:16
to the community parades and tree lighting ceremonies
14:20
and hospital fundraisers, anybody that would
14:24
have me. And so that took me up to 2011. And
14:27
at that time, I was offered a job by Microsoft
14:30
down in Los Angeles. And I had an elderly grandmother
14:34
at the time who was down in Southern California.
14:37
And I thought, oh, this would be a great opportunity
14:39
to spend some more time with her and do this
14:42
part of the time while I'm down there. And so
14:46
that was my first real experience of being a
14:48
paid Santa. And it just so happened that all
14:51
the kids working around this booth at this mall,
14:54
working for Microsoft, they were all aspiring
14:57
actresses and actors. They hired them off of
15:00
some acting job. Lord or something and and they're
15:03
all telling me you need an agent. You need to
15:05
get on television Yeah, right, you know, I live
15:07
a thousand miles away from here But by the end
15:10
of the season they kind of had me convinced that
15:12
I ought to have an agent I had to try and so
15:15
I did I did I'd had the next year 2012 I auditioned
15:19
for a talent agent down in Hollywood and surprisingly
15:22
they signed me and And then it took me a few
15:26
years before I started booking any work. But
15:29
anyway, from 2012 to 20, right up to the pandemic
15:33
through 2019, I spent half of my years, you know,
15:38
half of the year, more than half the year in
15:40
some cases in Southern California, pursuing the
15:43
entertainment industry, movies and music videos
15:46
and all that kind of stuff. So that's kind of
15:48
been my story. Then since the pandemic and since
15:50
the birth of my two grandkids, I've spent a lot
15:53
more time here at home in Southern California.
15:54
in Oregon. So yeah, it's kind of brings you up
15:57
to date. What a journey. It's been fun. Yeah.
16:02
Yeah. Well, and we'll talk about it in a minute.
16:05
We'll talk about sort of. you've you've opted
16:08
to kind of pass it on, you know, to have a legacy.
16:13
So but but I appreciate your story. I didn't
16:16
know that the Golden Christmas was so new. I
16:20
didn't know that the book was so new, but it's
16:23
great. It's a great book. And I know we'll get
16:25
a chance to dig into it a little bit in a few
16:27
minutes. But I think today we want to talk about
16:31
storytelling as the heartbeat of the Santa tradition.
16:35
It's more than reciting tales about reindeer
16:38
in the North Pole. It's about creating a living,
16:40
breathing experience that draws people into a
16:42
shared moment of wonder. And as you've spoken
16:46
and I've read in your book, I mean, there's so
16:49
much more to Santa and sort of grabbing people
16:55
and having them be a part of all of that than
16:57
just but the character. But when Santa steps
17:01
into a role with intention, every word, every
17:03
gesture, every twinkle in his eye becomes part
17:07
of a larger narrative that connects generations.
17:10
And through storytelling, Santa bridges belief
17:12
in reality, inviting children and even adults.
17:15
I think so many adults like see Santa at the
17:20
Macy Day Parade and they're like, oh, Santa,
17:23
I know him. Because we see ourselves as part
17:30
of something magical, something bigger. So yeah,
17:35
so you just did a great job of walking us through
17:39
your story. And so I guess my question is, as
17:46
you go from a Chrysler commercial and a Jimmy
17:50
Kimmel crew party to, say, an intimate family
17:56
gathering, Yeah. How do you adapt your Santa
18:00
persona for different audiences? Like, do you
18:03
even do that? Or are you just? Yeah, not so much,
18:07
really. I mean, it's funny because I've had those
18:09
those, I mean, polar extremes. And when you're
18:14
somewhere like Southern California, and then
18:18
there's there's the richest of the rich, right?
18:22
I mean, people that are just economically just
18:25
so well off. And then there's the exact other
18:29
extreme. I mean, people that are just economically
18:33
so deprived, and you just don't know if their
18:36
kids will get anything for Christmas. I've been
18:38
in environments where, you know, I... parked
18:41
and went in and I was not sure my car was going
18:43
to be there when I came out. Sometimes it's in
18:46
rough areas. What's unique for me in Southern
18:51
California is I've had those experiences in the
18:53
same day. I left one that was an elementary school
18:57
in East Los Angeles that was just an incredibly
19:01
economically deprived area. They love Santa,
19:06
Santa loved them. We had an absolute blast and
19:09
I was able to distribute some gifts and it could
19:12
not have been better. I live there, drive straight
19:15
to Malibu, an ocean front property where they
19:19
have armed guards at the front gate that let
19:22
you in. I mean, could not be more extreme different.
19:26
And I'm with the families and children of high
19:29
profile celebrities that you would recognize.
19:33
And it's the exact same. For me, it's 100 % the
19:37
same. It's Santa Claus there doing what Santa
19:40
Claus does, being kind, being gentle, being considerate,
19:44
being uplifting, asking them their questions
19:47
and responding the same answers and virtually
19:50
the same questions. And I love that. And to me,
19:55
it just shows how Santa has such a... and ability
20:01
to connect with everyone ethnically, religiously,
20:07
economically in every way. The Santa Claus is
20:11
just such a wonderful connector and I love. Being
20:14
that you know to being on the inside of that
20:16
that outfit and and and being the source of that
20:20
It's a it's a powerful thing. It's a it's a very
20:23
very neat thing and it it makes my life better
20:26
I mean because you get to see I think the best
20:29
in people all the time You know, you did ask
20:33
something else. Let me just throw this in because
20:35
I hate to miss this there. There's a you talk
20:39
about stories, and stories are really important
20:42
in so many ways. And one, while it was unfolding,
20:46
I didn't recognize the story elements of it,
20:49
but in hindsight, it became one of these pivotal
20:52
points in my life, something that made a significant
20:55
change for me. So in the first few years, from
20:58
2003 through 2010, I was a volunteer Santa, which
21:02
is a great thing, right? Your heart is in it,
21:05
you're doing all this stuff, the community. You
21:08
know for the community you have this sense of
21:10
I guess of pride or of at least doing good for
21:14
people The next year. I took a paid job as santa
21:18
claus All of a sudden psychologically my mind's
21:21
going crazy. It's like so what now i'm a i'm
21:23
a costume performer that that's what my life
21:25
is turned into Just it's a different Recognition
21:31
of self right? I mean it was like, you know,
21:33
I I never saw myself as a costumed Nothing wrong
21:37
with that. It just wasn't me. I was a You know
21:40
kind of a an entrepreneur or I traveled the country
21:42
as a professional speaker wearing custom -made
21:44
suits You know, I mean that was my life and now
21:47
you know, so it was a weird psychological shift
21:51
but I'm down there in Los Angeles working for
21:53
Microsoft that first year in 2011 and Coming
21:56
back from a little break room a woman probably
21:59
in her early 30s She she kind of whispers. Hey
22:02
Santa Santa. Can I talk to you for a minute?
22:05
Sure, you know, because I'm on my way from the
22:07
break area to the set. And so I walk into this
22:11
little nook thing on the side of the mall there
22:14
with a tad bit a little privacy. And she says,
22:18
can I just ask you a question? And she pours
22:20
her heart out about how she had moved from the
22:22
Midwest out to Los Angeles, pursuing her dreams.
22:26
Her boyfriend didn't go the way she had hoped
22:29
it would. Her job she was not contented in. And
22:32
she's pouring all this stuff out. to santa claus
22:36
right and i'm looking at her like she's my daughter
22:39
you know it's like oh this poor girl she's going
22:41
through so much and she needs somebody to talk
22:44
to she needs somebody to get this off of her
22:47
chest and put it out there you know and and so
22:50
i respond as well as i can right like like if
22:54
she was my kid this is the advice i'd be giving
22:56
her you know and um And it ended great, and she
23:00
went on her way, and I went and did the rest
23:02
of the thing. And then when I was driving home
23:04
that night, I'm thinking, Santa Claus is a powerful
23:08
thing, right? And I don't want to abuse or misuse
23:14
the kind of the trust that's put in me. And I
23:19
recounted my words. Did I say the right things
23:22
here? And it was really a shift in me that, okay,
23:28
being a paid Santa Claus is okay. Yeah, okay,
23:31
everybody still loves Santa. I still love everybody.
23:34
So if they pay me for it, so that's fine. In
23:36
fact, the very first day on that job, I was with
23:40
Brooke Burke, the model and actress and her family,
23:43
and it was a launch for this Microsoft product.
23:45
That was my very first paid Santa. Thing at a
23:50
large, you know season -long project, you know,
23:53
so there's like what you know kind of a lofty
23:55
kickoff, right? but anyway that that that that
23:59
really Transformed me a little bit and in my
24:03
I guess professional view of Santa Claus before
24:07
it was all going out and having a fun time and
24:10
doing all that. But this, it became a little
24:12
deeper for me. And I kind of have a tendency
24:14
to go that way anyway. I have a little philosophical
24:16
bent. But anyway, that's been my experience during
24:23
those earliest days as a paid Santa Claus. With
24:29
great power comes great responsibility, right?
24:33
Right. Exactly. And I think that It sounds like
24:36
that was sort of that turning point for you,
24:39
where you realize that, you know, this legacy,
24:44
you were taking this on, you were choosing to
24:46
take this on, and, uh, it, like, it really, like,
24:52
struck you. Like, that's what it sounds like.
24:53
It really, like, the light went off, like, oh,
24:58
this isn't just, I'm not just a, I'm not just
25:01
a costumed actor, you know? There's some depth
25:06
to it, yeah. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. I remember I
25:12
had my first business. I was a publisher of a
25:16
magazine for a town. I had been a social worker
25:20
in a previous life for 23 years and then went
25:23
into marketing communications and journalism.
25:26
I started with journalism and fell in love with
25:28
journalism, but unfortunately, journalism doesn't
25:29
pay the bills. And I had been a weekly reporter
25:34
at a weekly paper. But I was older than all of
25:39
the other young reporters. I was newly a single
25:42
mom. And I had met, as a journalist, you meet
25:48
so many people. And I had met this person who
25:51
had a monthly magazine in another town. And my
25:54
town didn't have that. I just set out to build
25:58
it and create it. I was like, I think our town
26:00
needs this and I'm going to make this. I'm going
26:02
to make it happen. And so I went from being a
26:06
nobody to being at least in the in the confines
26:10
of this town, you know, my name and my face were
26:13
in every mailbox every month. And, you know,
26:17
people, when you become more public. People and
26:24
I don't think they intend to do this, but I think
26:25
this is what happens It's almost like people
26:27
think they own you like they you know They they
26:31
talk to you as if you are that person and everything
26:34
that you are underneath and behind and all your
26:36
history That isn't who you are to them. You're
26:39
just that public persona and I remember We had
26:44
had a transition and we had paused print production
26:48
for a couple of months and people found out where
26:54
I lived and I was coming out of my house and
26:58
there was a group of moms at the end of my driveway
27:01
and they said to me, why isn't the paper still
27:05
in the mailboxes? This has become our reading
27:09
habit every month. Like we even made it into
27:13
like the historical room in the library or something,
27:15
you know Like it became a big deal and it was
27:17
in that moment that I too had that that thought
27:20
of you know on a much much smaller scale I'm
27:22
not even comparing myself to you, but I think
27:25
the feelings are with great power comes great
27:28
responsibility and it is this what I signed on
27:33
for and When it becomes a passion project regardless
27:38
of paid or not I found that, like, the answer
27:42
to that question was yes. Yeah, totally. I didn't
27:45
know about your magazine background, but we created
27:47
a magazine a year ago called Santa Claus Now,
27:51
and it's all online. It's all digital, which
27:53
is a wonderful thing. I mean, because it's so
27:56
inexpensive to produce. Yes. But it's incredibly
28:00
popular. Somebody told me about these online
28:03
magazines and just how successful they are, how
28:06
many people are reading them, how much time they
28:08
spend on them. And ours is no different. We have
28:12
thousands and thousands of readers who average
28:14
well over 10 minutes an issue reading, and they
28:17
can click through to the advertisements and all
28:20
that. It's an amazing thing. And you're right.
28:24
I mean, when you get into that habit or that
28:28
process of creating regularly, people, some people
28:32
become expecting that. They hope that that continues.
28:37
And we just had a restaurant close, the one that
28:39
we frequented with some regularity. It hurts
28:42
to see it go, right? So yeah, but yeah, it's
28:47
neat to be able to be looked upon as a source
28:51
of something that someone wants, they're eager
28:55
to get. Well, and I think what you're talking
28:58
about, I mean, as we talk about Santa, you know,
29:02
like we can talk about your book, Bexley and
29:05
Thayer, The Mystery of Santa Claus. As I was
29:08
reading the book, I was struck by you moved so
29:12
far away from the character, like as you walked
29:16
your grandkids, the older version of your grandkids.
29:20
Yeah. through this journey, like every single
29:24
chapter with every single thing that they had
29:26
to discover about themselves. And it was almost
29:30
like a and I haven't finished the book yet, so
29:33
I don't I don't know how it ends. But as far
29:35
as I've gotten, it's almost like you're you're
29:39
helping. It's almost you. You really did like
29:41
you described it as a bridge. I think you're
29:44
basically walking them across the bridge. It's
29:46
like that rite of passage. It's like I'm going
29:48
from being. child like when I was a child I thought
29:52
of child things but when I became a man I put
29:54
those child childish things away and become you
29:57
know, and so you're basically as You walk them
30:00
through each thing. They're having these discovery
30:03
moments where oh That's why that happens. Oh
30:07
if I do this, that's why that happens. It's fascinating
30:11
and I guess my question that I that I had come
30:13
to the table with was You know I would imagine
30:19
as you continue to carry this, you know, this
30:23
character that you are, but the deepness of it.
30:26
Like, have you have you thought before about
30:29
telling children the truth about Santa before
30:32
this moment? And why now? Why now? Yeah, no,
30:37
that's a great question. And and I have had I've
30:39
had parents who have asked me over the years,
30:41
not a lot, but. but a few, who asked that I would
30:46
have this conversation with their children about
30:50
Santa Claus, the next level of Santa Claus. And
30:54
that's what caused me, I think, to spend more
30:57
time on this. This was years ago. But it allowed
31:01
me to start putting some of the concepts together.
31:06
It felt very empty to me to say that Santa Claus
31:11
has a flying reindeer, right? And then say, oh,
31:15
nevermind. He doesn't have reindeer and they
31:17
don't fly. It's like, well, why did you say all
31:21
that stuff? So I needed to, just for my own personal
31:24
satisfaction, to have some kind of continuity,
31:28
some kind of meaning to these... These these
31:32
icons that are a part of the Santa story In just
31:37
like the coal they you know, why would the Santa
31:39
give away coal? I mean, we know he gives away.
31:42
So I created a whole story about, in the beginning,
31:46
there was a child, we call him Jimmy Hyatt, who
31:47
was cold -hearted. At that time, we used coal
31:50
as a huge energy source and for great fires and
31:53
to cook. So the coal is a metaphor for being
31:57
warm -hearted, a reminder to be more warm -hearted.
32:01
back in the day, today we use the word kind,
32:04
but back at that time we called it being warm
32:05
-hearted. And so we create a whole story around
32:08
that. I turned all the reindeers into virtues,
32:11
right? I mean, being strong, being courageous,
32:15
being fun, being a prancer, you know, I mean,
32:17
they're all, so now all of a sudden the elements
32:20
of the story, they don't go away. They are just
32:23
transformed. They have a new meaning. They have
32:26
a new element. And when the child who is now
32:31
eight, nine, 10 years old, starts overlaying
32:35
the new meanings onto the old story, it's a million
32:39
times better, right? Now the story, it's not
32:43
just pulled away, it's built upon. And to me,
32:48
I don't even understand. So many things become
32:52
so obvious once you know, right? And when you
32:55
don't know, you just don't know. But at this
32:58
point, now that I have this awareness about all
33:00
this, I just can't imagine how it hasn't been
33:03
in place for decades. It just seems like it should
33:08
have been in place. We need to bridge these kids
33:11
to this next level of belief. And when it comes
33:15
to the book, as a... a youngster, I was blessed
33:20
to have a teacher in the fifth grade who encouraged
33:24
me to read. A lot of teachers encouraged me to
33:27
read, but this one. And she did that by introducing
33:32
me to the Hardy Boy books and these Hardy Boy
33:35
little mystery books, right? And the brothers
33:38
would have a clue and then they would solve the
33:41
mystery. So when I went out and started putting
33:44
this book together, it was all about the mindset
33:48
of the Hardy Boys discovering the mystery. So
33:51
when you say, we move a long ways away from Santa,
33:54
you're absolutely right. And it is the Santa
33:57
within, right? Because that's what Santa really
33:59
is. That's the next level. From, you know, these
34:03
younger kids to saying, okay, I get it. Santa
34:07
lives in me. And when all of us who Santa lives
34:10
in come together, that is Santa Claus, right?
34:13
I have a little piece of him. My Santa gene awakens.
34:17
But then all of our Santa genes together become
34:20
the choir. They become Santa Claus. So yeah,
34:23
that's exactly, and I'm so happy that you...
34:27
Interpreted it that way because that's exactly
34:29
what I intended it feels like you had a lot you
34:33
had a really tall order when you wrote this book
34:36
because They were so many Questions that had
34:40
to be answered. So you had to come up with answers
34:43
I think for all of it and I think it's fascinating
34:46
that you said like where has this been all this
34:48
time? Like how is how is this? You know not really
34:52
been but I think the whole concept of the golden
34:55
Christmas is wonderful because It's not a it's
34:58
not a sad day Like and that when somebody discovers
35:03
that that Santa lives within them I find it interesting
35:08
though. You're talking about kids that are eight
35:10
and nine. I'm clearly I haven't been I haven't
35:15
been around the most current eight and nine year
35:17
olds in a while. And that just feels young to
35:20
me, but I guess it really just depends, right?
35:23
It just depends on the child and the family.
35:26
And really, when the child comes forward and
35:28
asks the question, this book really kind of prepares
35:32
the parent, right? Yeah, it does. And we also
35:36
have some other, again, all kinds of free stuff
35:38
where they can download. guides, how to answer
35:41
questions, what to tell the older sibling, what
35:44
the older sibling should share with the younger
35:46
siblings. We give them all the tools to make
35:48
this work well. But I do think you're right that
35:52
the age of this golden Christmas is younger now
35:58
probably than it was even 15 or 20 years ago.
36:01
And I don't know exactly why. I have a hunch
36:05
that it's kind of tied to the the movie elements,
36:10
there's more in modern culture that becomes more
36:15
questionable early, I think. And now every parent,
36:19
I mean, and I'm not saying this is a bad thing,
36:22
but just a thing, every parent has it in their
36:26
hand almost always, Google, and now even more
36:30
AI. And anytime there's a question about anything,
36:34
right? the kind of bird they're looking at to
36:38
the type of plant that it is or any other thing
36:40
there's a google query and so all of a sudden
36:44
the queries are is santa real how old is santa
36:47
claus and all this is at the fingertips what
36:50
my seven -year -old granddaughter anytime anything
36:53
that we don't have an answer to comes up ask
36:56
google you know i mean seven years old you know
37:00
so So I do think that that is kind of a thing.
37:06
And it's OK. I don't think it's a bad thing.
37:08
It's just an evolution. And things do evolve,
37:12
as we know all so well in our lives. I think
37:18
that you can never start too early walking kids
37:22
through these virtues. I mean, you're what you're
37:25
doing with your book, in essence, is giving them
37:27
the language. Exactly. You know what I mean?
37:30
It's like when you're that young, like, you know
37:32
you have the feeling, but you might not have
37:34
the language. And so this your book actually
37:37
gives them the language. That's certainly my
37:39
hope. And also in our Santa appearances, you
37:42
know, so as a Santa me and we have thousands
37:46
of members of our worldwide Santa Claus network
37:48
and. In the discussions that we have when we're
37:52
talking to children about Stuff, you know, whatever
37:56
their questions are whatever comes up when we
37:59
mentioned the reindeer we might mention Well,
38:02
you know about Donner and Blitzen, you know what
38:04
their main names where they could derive from
38:06
right? They these is from the German, you know
38:08
Donner and Blitzen Thunder and lightning power
38:11
strength, you know, and that those are important
38:13
aren't they so we can take the normal And start
38:17
planting the seeds for what comes a few years
38:20
from now and then make this transition very very
38:23
smooth as it ought to be and it's just a matter
38:27
of Future pacing things a little bit right just
38:32
looking ahead just a little bit and and fortunately
38:36
nowadays because of the internet because of Facebook
38:40
and things like having private groups and all
38:43
that we can communicate. I mean, we have 8 ,000
38:47
members of our Facebook group. And all this information
38:50
is that, and our website has thousands of members
38:53
as well. And this stuff becomes common shared
38:58
lore amongst our community. It takes a while,
39:01
but it happens. And so I think we're, some number,
39:06
five years from now, 10 years from now, more
39:08
of these things will be real common, very, very
39:12
universal, I think. And that's what we've seen
39:14
over the, in fact, the whole, and most people
39:17
are outside of the community, probably don't
39:18
recognize this as much as those of us in it,
39:21
but the average Santa look has improved significantly
39:25
since, you know, we hear the old mall Santa stories
39:29
and, you know, and all that. These days, the
39:31
Santa, the beards, the wardrobe, the style, the
39:34
mannerisms, the, you know, all of that, I think
39:37
is significantly better now than it might have
39:39
been 10 or 15 years ago. Yeah, no long gone are
39:44
the fake beards that that just isn't gonna cut
39:45
it anymore And the big beards that are out there
39:48
are really good. You just can't tell they're
39:50
you know, they're they're really really good
39:51
Yeah, now they're yeah. Oh, yeah Yeah, they can
39:55
be so you've been talking about your worldwide
39:57
Santa Claus Network where you mentor other Santas
40:01
and so Let's talk a little bit for a few minutes.
40:06
I know we were kind of gonna come up on time
40:08
in a few but what How are you teaching them about
40:15
using story in developing their personas? And
40:20
what are some mistakes that you help them fix
40:25
as they're developing their character? Yeah,
40:30
that's a great question. with the way we do it.
40:35
So the first is just the technology. So our meetings
40:37
are all on Zoom, they're weekly meetings and
40:40
many weeks we have multiple meetings per week.
40:42
So we have the ability through our platform and
40:45
just through today's technology to have this
40:47
space repetition which is so important from a
40:50
learning perspective, right? So we can talk about
40:52
something and talk about it again two or three
40:54
weeks from now and pretty soon we begin to get
40:56
it and we begin to be able to integrate it into
40:58
what we're doing. I talk a lot about the use
41:02
of questions to form stories as a springboard
41:06
for stories. And the questions, very often we
41:09
can have the children or the adults ask us questions.
41:13
Sometimes they don't know the questions to ask,
41:16
you know, so we can come in and lead with a question
41:19
and then help them answer it. But for me, just
41:22
as a... An example that I use all the time when
41:26
I walk into say a home party You know and all
41:29
the cousins are their neighborhood kids or whatever
41:31
and we make a grand entrance You know, so it's
41:34
fun like Santa's in the house. It's a big deal
41:37
You know and and then in short order after they
41:40
get the basic introduction stuff We'll we'll
41:42
sit down and I'll have a chair Maybe the kids
41:44
are sitting on the floor and then we'll start
41:47
asking some questions I mean I kept that real
41:49
quick that how many of you know where I live,
41:51
you know, and of course North Pole or You know,
41:53
yeah, right. Okay, good. And how many know what
41:56
kind of animals we have up there? You know, and
41:58
a lot of them will take polar bears and somebody
42:01
will come around with reindeer and you know,
42:03
penguins sometimes. And so when we get into that,
42:07
then I can take any one of those things. You
42:09
know, you mentioned polar bears. That wasn't
42:11
what I was thinking really, but we do have them.
42:14
But let me tell you a little bit about polar
42:15
bears. This is kind of interesting. Like, did
42:17
you know that their hair is hollow? Like you
42:20
and me, if we have our hair and we cut it and
42:22
we looked under a microphone, it'd be solid like
42:24
rope. But theirs is like a pipe. It has a hole
42:27
in the middle. That's interesting, right? And
42:29
so now we can use our questions, their answers
42:33
to do a little educational kind of a thing, right?
42:37
And so there's an engagement because we talk
42:40
a lot in our community about... the experience,
42:43
right? Mom and dad, yes, they want photos. And
42:45
the kids, everybody wants that. Kids want to
42:47
tell Santa what they want for Christmas. But
42:50
all said and done, there's value in the entire
42:53
experience from when the time you walk in that
42:55
door to the time you walk out, it's the whole
42:58
thing. They have a name for it now. We call it
43:00
the experience economy. And these experiences
43:04
are valuable and important, but not... the most
43:09
valuable and most important thing. Many parents
43:11
today want what is referred to as a transformational
43:16
experience, something that makes the kid or maybe
43:19
the family better off as a result. So they want
43:22
something to win. And Santa's kind of perfect
43:25
for that because we have this idea that is built
43:29
in, baked into the lore of Nadia Nice List, right?
43:34
So now all of a sudden we can tell the stories
43:36
about coal. And now Jimmy Hyde was, you know,
43:40
and we can tell the whole story so we can build
43:42
on all of that. And then we can come in to the
43:46
kindness element, why that's so important. And
43:49
again. as we jump into these stories and common
43:57
lore, things that the parents and the kids have
43:59
already heard. So we all know about naughty list.
44:01
We all know about nice list. But then oftentimes,
44:05
especially if the kids are seven, eight, nine
44:07
years old, we'll get into some of the more subtle.
44:09
It's like, look, the people can be nice, but
44:15
at the same time, not be very... Good, right?
44:19
I mean, so people say, am I on the good list
44:21
or am I on the nice list? That's interesting,
44:24
right? There's a difference between good and
44:26
nice, right? A person can be... good, but not
44:29
very nice. He's just kind of a grouchy guy, but
44:32
he's a good person. He's telling you the truth
44:34
and everything, just says it in a mean way. So
44:37
we can go in and create the differentiations
44:40
between being good and being nice and say, so
44:43
the word I like to use is kind, right? That means
44:46
you're good and nice. We want to be both of the
44:48
two, that's kind. And so for me, those virtues,
44:54
those values are expressed via story. and story
45:00
that's pulled from and built on to common lore,
45:04
common knowledge about the Santa story, things
45:07
that they've been hearing since they were old
45:09
enough to hear. So yeah, that's kind of the way
45:14
that I think I approach it. And a lot of our
45:16
members, that's what we kind of train them to
45:18
do, to use questions and then to build on that,
45:21
to build your stories. And then what I explained
45:23
to our members is like for me, philosophy, is
45:28
important, this concept of personal development
45:32
and those virtues and values, that's a part of
45:36
my mission. But that may well be because I don't
45:40
have any other real strong skill sets. If I was
45:43
a musician, if I was a guitar player or a ukulele
45:46
player or something, maybe I'd build my Santa
45:49
presence around something musical. So we could
45:52
teach a few... you know simple things some musical
45:56
things are magical maybe sleight of hand you
45:59
know so it's what i try to explain is whatever
46:02
your passions are your interests are whatever
46:05
your hobbies are you know you can you can tell
46:07
fishing stories if you're a fisherman or or whatever
46:10
but just build it on who you are because that's
46:13
where your passion is and they can express that
46:16
um and for me it just makes every minute of this
46:21
is super enjoyable, right? Because I'm doing
46:25
what I want to be doing through a character who's
46:30
appreciated and valued and, you know, it's just
46:34
a wonderful thing. And it makes me better as
46:36
a person. You know, I tell people all the time
46:38
that one of the best things about being a Santa
46:41
Claus portrayal artist, we call ourselves portrayal
46:43
artists, but one of the best things about doing
46:45
that is who you become in the process. I mean,
46:49
I hold myself to a higher level. I don't want
46:52
to be the guy that says something mean in traffic
46:57
or leaves my cart out in the lot at a grocery
47:01
store. If anybody's looking and they see this,
47:06
which is what I would look like if I went to
47:07
Costco right now. you know, they might know that
47:11
I'm not the real Santa, but they're gonna see
47:14
some element of Santa in me. And I want that
47:18
to be a positive thing. And so it holds me to
47:22
a level that I wanna be held to, right? So it's
47:26
a wonderful thing. And all these levels that,
47:29
again, unless you're really into the community,
47:31
you don't see or know. And it takes a while even
47:34
within the community, but I've had hundreds and
47:37
hundreds and hundreds of Santas that say, I like
47:39
myself better since I've been, you know, portrayed
47:42
Santa. And I think that's very common. Well,
47:46
and I think it's it's that it's that legacy of
47:49
with great power comes great responsibility.
47:52
It's, you know, this is a sacred character for
47:56
so many people. And. It's really hard for people
48:01
to see Santa in any other light other than the
48:05
goodness of of Santa. So. you know it's that's
48:10
you do have your work cut out for you right because
48:12
you got to edge it is educating people like how
48:15
to how to carry yourself if you're going to be
48:19
the persona exactly and and to look forward to
48:22
it right i mean that that's the thing you know
48:25
it's that allow yourself or not it's okay if
48:28
you don't but it but if you want to if you want
48:30
to be made better by You know, look in the mirror
48:33
and see Santa Claus. You know, don't don't say
48:35
and you know, I make a distinction all the time
48:38
with our members. It's like I don't ever want
48:40
to see myself as a performer. I'm not there to
48:43
put on a show. Right. I mean, you can do that.
48:46
It's just not how I see myself. What I I'm like
48:49
Grandpa. I'm just being me with you. Right. I
48:52
mean, and, you know, and you asked earlier on
48:55
the difference between one environment and another
48:57
or here or there. I mean, it doesn't really matter
49:00
if I had a Santa suit round right now and I'm
49:02
walking into a preschool or if I walk into Costco
49:06
looking just like this, I'm the same guy in both
49:09
places. Words I say might be slightly different,
49:12
but how I say them, the intent behind them and
49:15
so forth is exactly the same. And I love that.
49:19
I mean, it makes me happy, you know? And the
49:24
people I serve, I think are happy too. Yeah,
49:27
I think so too. So we're gonna wrap up, but where
49:31
can people find your books, learn more about
49:34
World Wide Santa, your World Wide Santa Claus
49:36
network, or even book you for a magical experience?
49:40
Oh man, I love all that. Well, thank you, yeah.
49:43
So the most important thing, again, this is not
49:46
any self -serving thing for me, but just the
49:48
goldenchristmas .com, learn about it, use it
49:51
in your family. We have resources and stuff there.
49:54
Use them if you'd like if not use something else,
49:58
but become aware of the concepts of the golden
50:00
christmas .com the book is at bexleyandthair
50:06
.com. My grandkids name bexleyandthair .com.
50:10
Or there's also a link on the Golden Christmas.
50:11
So if you go there, you'll find it. For Santa
50:14
people, if you know somebody, if you're a dad
50:16
or grandpa or husband or whoever, we even have
50:21
ladies who are Santa Clauses. So maybe anybody
50:24
might be, but. There are two places. One, the
50:27
WorldwideSantaClausNetwork .com. You can go over
50:29
there, become a free member. We'll get you all
50:32
kinds of information to get started. Another
50:35
website we have that's also very easy. You can
50:38
download stuff real quickly. It's called Santas
50:41
Helping Santas. That's very simple. SantasHelpingSantas
50:45
.com. And you can get some... ebooks that you
50:50
can go read and kind of make you aware of what's
50:55
happening in our little Santa world. Santa Claus
50:58
Now, the magazine, you go there, we have all
51:00
kinds of stuff. Santahed .com, that's me or that
51:03
Santa guy, Santahed .com. You can book me. I
51:07
do a ton of Zoom calls, do hundreds and hundreds
51:10
of Zoom calls. We also make videos for families.
51:13
Like sometimes, again, talk about experiences.
51:16
A lot of parents look and say, you know what?
51:18
The kids don't need another big toy, but it would
51:21
be fun to take them on a ski trip or take them
51:23
to Disney World or on a cruise, but we'd love
51:25
Santa Claus to announce that. So we make a little
51:28
video that says sometimes we have them on scavenger
51:31
hunts or sometimes we just reveal, hey, by the
51:33
way, we have you going to wherever, whenever.
51:38
So just happy to help anybody in any way to bring
51:42
Santa Claus into their world in a meaningful
51:46
and fun way. That's wonderful. Well, thank you.
51:51
I mean, that's all the time we have. But thank
51:54
you so much, Ed, for being here. Thank you so
51:55
much, Santa, for being here. You know, just to
51:59
kind of hear the depth that that really is tied
52:03
to, you know, who you are, who you want to be
52:06
and how you, you know, you you carry that legacy
52:09
forward. It's just it's amazing. So thank you
52:11
for for being you. Thank you, Lana. Thank you
52:14
for having me. I'm just honored to be able to
52:19
do things like this. I love what you're doing,
52:22
the storytelling and bringing that out to the
52:24
world. Again, thank you for inviting me. Thank
52:28
you. To our listeners, whether you hear us locally
52:31
from the BTV studios in Bedford, Massachusetts
52:34
or across the globe on such podcast channels
52:36
as Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or Amazon Prime,
52:40
thanks for listening. We hope you enjoyed this
52:42
episode and we'll see you next time. Happy storytelling.
52:46
you