How I Built My Small Business
Welcome to 'How I Built My Small Business,' where we dive deep into conversations with guests who've carved out their own path to success. But, we're not only about the creation of businesses. Alongside entrepreneurs, I also chat with experts offering perspectives that'll benefit anyone striving to lead, learn, or improve.
This podcast is both a creative outlet and a platform to share knowledge from incredible people. My guests open up about the raw, heartwarming details of their journeys, offering expertise, simplifying business know-how, sharing money-making ideas, and imparting life wisdom—all through the power of storytelling.
By listening to these interviews and stories, my hope is that you find even one little takeaway that sparks or inspires your path.
While most of my guests make $1 million to $20 million net profit a year, some make more and some make less, but there is a lesson worth learning in each one. I also bring in special guests from brokering and mergers, mindset and meditation, entertainment and marketing, among others. So, the line-up is diverse in niche, experience and perspective - and so, so fun.
Special episodes include:
No College, No Problem
Big business founders with a focus on helpful small business topics
Expertise in hyper-niche fields
The connecting piece is that every one of my guests has started their own business at some point in their journey.
Thank you for listening.
Season 2 drops January 21, 2025. Follow the show so you don't miss out!
My Website: https://www.annemcginty.com/
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How I Built My Small Business
Chanda Bell - The ELF ON THE SHELF: Unwrapping The Story
Welcome to a very merry episode of How I Built My Small Business! I’m Anne McGinty, your host, and I know I said no new episodes, but this is a surprise Christmas special.
Today, we’re diving into the magical world of Santa’s little helpers with Chanda Bell, co-founder and co-CEO of The Lumistella Company, home of The Elf on the Shelf.
Whether you’re a seasoned elf owner or someone who’s just wondering why these mischievous little elves keep popping up, this episode has a sprinkle of something for everyone—kids, grown-ups, and the young-at-heart. 🎅🏼🎁
Chanda, along with her mom and sister, took a simple family tradition and turned it into a global Christmas phenomenon that has enchanted millions. She’s the creative force behind the storytelling and magic that make the Elf on the Shelf part of so many family holiday traditions.
Over the years, the elves have been featured on Good Morning America, USA Today, and even appeared in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Her company, The Lumistella Company, continues to innovate with projects like the Santaverse while staying true to the magic of Santa’s mission.
But with great magic comes great responsibility. In today’s conversation, Chanda shares how they keep Santa’s vision alive while addressing everything from sustainability to inclusivity to… yes, even those whispers about “elf surveillance.”
So grab your hot cocoa, cozy up by the fire, and let’s unwrap the story of how one family tradition became a global celebration of joy, generosity, and a little holiday mischief.
https://elfontheshelf.com/
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We were told that our product was destined for the damaged goods bin. The fact that we ever even launched to begin with is miraculous. We had no money, we had no experience, we didn't know people with money or experience, so it was really just sort of one foot in front of the other. And now to build that into a company that's still standing 20 years later with 120 employees, it's a huge honor.
Speaker 2:Welcome to a very merry episode of how I Built my Small Business. I'm Anne McGinty, your host, and this is a surprise Christmas special. Today, we're diving into the magical world of Santa's Little Helpers with Shanda Bell, co-founder of the Elf on the Shelf. Whether you're a seasoned elf owner or someone who's just wondering why these mischievous little elves keep popping up, this episode has a sprinkle of something for everyone kids, grownups and the young. At heart, shanda, along with her mom and sister, took a simple family tradition and turned it into a global Christmas phenomenon that has enchanted millions around the world. She's the creative force behind the storytelling and magic that make the Elf on the Shelf part of so many family holiday traditions.
Speaker 2:Over the years, the elves have been featured on Good Morning America, USA Today, and even appeared in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Her company, the Loomis Stella Company, continues to innovate with projects like Santaverse, while staying true to the magic of Santa's mission. But with great magic comes great responsibility. In today's conversation, shanda shares how they keep Santa's vision alive while addressing everything from sustainability to even those whispers about elf surveillance. So grab your hot cocoa cozy up by the fire and let's unwrap the story. Before we dive in, I want to wish everyone a happy holiday and an even happier new year. Happy holidays. Season two drops January 21st, so make sure to subscribe to how I Built my Small Business so you don't miss out. Let's get started. Thank you to our listeners for being here today. Shanda, I know this is a very busy time of year for you, so thanks so much for coming on the show.
Speaker 1:Oh, thank you so much for having me. This is a total treat.
Speaker 2:To start out for anyone that's listening in. I mean, I'm curious to know and I assume that they are as well how did your parents develop such a strong relationship with Santa?
Speaker 1:That story actually goes way, way, way back. So when my mom was growing up, she had an elf in her childhood. Then, when my mom grew up and had children, of course her elf from her childhood came with her and she used to tell us that the elf was watching and listening for Santa Claus, and that became a beloved family tradition for us. Of this elf that was our very best friend, and so we had this opportunity to liaison with Santa Claus through our very own elf, and that elf would watch during the day and report to Santa at night, and in the morning, before we woke up, the elf had flown back from the North Pole and hid in a new space in our house, and so my twin sister, my brother and I would race each other out of bed to be the first to spy the elf, and it definitely was just the best part of our childhood. So we've been tight with Santa since the 50s.
Speaker 2:I promised my daughter that I would ask you. She really wanted to know if you've ever met Santa personally.
Speaker 1:I actually have met Santa personally Indeed, I have. So I work for Santa, he is my boss, and so I have the luxury of getting to be Santa's chief storyteller for a job, so it's a pretty cool gig.
Speaker 2:The second question that she asked was how do the elves move all by?
Speaker 1:themselves. That is Christmas magic. They fly so the more you believe that stirs the energy and excitement in their heart and you give them that name. Of course that's a huge part of the lore. When you give your elf a name, it gets its Christmas magic and that imbues its heart full of Christmas magic and that's how they fly it's heart full of Christmas magic.
Speaker 2:And that's how they fly. So if you were then to describe a day in the life of one of Santa's scout elves, what would it look like from their perspective?
Speaker 1:Oh, that's such a fun question.
Speaker 1:You know, it's really cool because in our line of work we really do work for Santa Claus, right?
Speaker 1:So we actually spend a lot of time in the mind of elves and in the mind of Santa Claus, and so there's all types of creatures that live in the Santaverse, right? So we have the elf on the shelf, which is what you're most familiar with, and that is our elf that flies back and forth from the North Pole to your home to watch and listen and report for Santa. But we also have elf mates, right, and those are elves who have traditional roles for elves at the North Pole. So they are cobblers and they are toy makers and they are chefs you know that traditionally lived in a tree and baked treats. So we have elf pets and so we have this whole center verse of characters. So a day in the life of the elf on the shelf might look very different from the day in the life of, for example, our elf mates, because they all have very specific jobs to do, both in the human world and for Santa Claus at the North Pole.
Speaker 2:I love it. Amazing. It sounds like an incredible place and with a hot topic being, you know, sustainability. These days, the elves traveling such long distances from the North Pole like how do you handle that part with the need to have sustainable practices?
Speaker 1:Well, that is a great question. Sustainability is a huge, I think, for everyone. Right, for me, it's not even about the word sustainability as much as like are we being a good steward of the planet and of our resources. And that's important to Santa Claus, right? He built his entire life and his entire career on this idea of like, generosity and doing good, and so part of our doing good right is being good citizens of the planet that we all share, and so part of our doing good right is being good citizens of the planet that we all share.
Speaker 1:And so we've worked with Santa Claus to reduce the size of our box set that our elf comes in, so that we're not shipping air right to really make sure that we are maximizing space but still giving families a keepsake experience. Our boxes, for the most part, are reusable, right. The idea is that they are keepsake boxes to store your book in, and maybe sometimes the elf might take a nap in there. So we do our best to be good stewards of the planet and reduce plastic where it makes sense to do so. It's definitely something our internal teams work really hard on maximizing space, making sure that we are being smart and wise with our decision making as a company.
Speaker 2:And the elves that we all have in our houses. Do they have a specific purpose beyond reporting to Santa?
Speaker 1:They certainly do, I think you know, as a parent, as a mom myself, I think part of what the Elf on the Shelf brings besides just magic moments and memories is this idea, as a child, of learning, for example, self-control, right. Self-control is an important value. We all have to exercise self-control in life, right, and so there's some value-based learning that comes with our books and our stories that we really try to tap into. So whether it's the Elf on the Shelf or the Elf Pets, for example, they lean heavily into themes of like faith, hope and love. So I think it's our job to use characters kids love, but themes and plot lines and values that parents love, and if we're doing our job correctly, parents can tap into those bigger moments and themes to provide a really excellent learning experience for their children.
Speaker 2:What do you think it is that makes Elf on the Shelf so magical for families around the world?
Speaker 1:Well, I think I understand it on a level you know because I grew up with this tradition. Understand it on a level you know because I grew up with this tradition, right. So I understand the magic of having this elf in your home that talks to Santa. It's like a best friend. It is magic for 25 days leading up to Christmas. It is sheer joy. And even when your elf just does very simple things like moves back and forth, right, it flew back, talked to Santa, it came back to your home and it just landed in a different spot. Those are magical moments and magical memories for children and they will remember them the rest of their life. I did so. I grew up with it. I know what that magic is as a mom, getting to experience it in a whole new way and seeing the magic through my children's eyes. It brings a whole new sense of wonder.
Speaker 1:One of the things that I love most about what we do with our entire Santaverse collection is we tap into the imagination of children. When I was a kid, I remember what was it like when the elf was talking to Santa Claus, right? What was that moment like? What was he saying? What did the North Pole look like, and so we lift the veil a little bit right through our books and our stories and our animated specials that are on Netflix. But we also, I think, do a good job of keeping enough behind the curtain. So it's still sort of like the wizard right, and I think that's an important part of what we do and what we offer families and kids Can you explain this a little bit more.
Speaker 2:The Santaverse Like what is? What exactly is the Santaverse?
Speaker 1:Yeah, so for years we have created stories that were not just Elf on the Shelf. It really came from families seeking answers to all things Christmas, Santa Claus, elves, lore, reindeer, you name it and so we started by launching with our elf pets series, and we found that that, indeed, was really what people wanted. They wanted to know more about the North Pole, they wanted to know how Santa's world works. But elf pets aren't elf on the shelf, and so we really sort of ran into this. You know how are we creating this whole world of characters? But not everything is the elf on the shelf.
Speaker 1:The elf on the shelf is very one particular type of elf that does one particular thing right, and there's certain lore and certain stories built specifically around the elf on the shelf. But in an effort to answer all of these questions that we were getting and I'm talking thousands and thousands of emails and letters that come directly to us we gave all of these sort of an umbrella. It's very much like what Harry Potter had to do with the world right, when they had to give both Fantastic Beasts and Harry Potter a world to live in. And so ours is the Santaverse, and so it's every story, every friend, every foe. It's the entire enchanted world of Santa Claus. So it helps us release new characters and new stories and new ideas and answer new questions alongside the elf on the shelf right In the world the elf on the shelf lives in, but it's not necessarily the elf on the shelf this world.
Speaker 2:My daughter asked me the other day if I had ever met Santa and I said well, I haven't. Personally, I've. Also, I've never been to the North Pole. So I'm curious with this Santaverse and the characters what's the deeper purpose?
Speaker 1:Well, I think for me as a parent, again, it stems from something simple, right Answering these questions for children that they have and they want to know about the North Pole. And they're reaching out and they're asking us and I'm like I think we can answer those questions for them. So that part is very simple. But I do think as a mom and as a business owner, you put on these hats of what's next, what is our calling, what are we supposed to do, you know, and how are we supposed to do it? And what we found is we redefined our vision and our mission as a company, which our vision used to be our elf on every shelf. We redefined it to figure out like, what are we really passionate about?
Speaker 1:And what we were really passionate about as a company was telling these stories of Santa's North Pole. People loved our reindeer story, they loved our St Bernard story, they loved the elf on the shelf, and all of those were answering very specific questions for kids and how the world of the North Pole works. So, for example, with the elf pets, reindeer, if kids produce enough love, it basically like spurs the magic and its little heart charm and helps this reindeer grow full size, then it would help pull Santa's sleigh on Christmas Eve, and so kids get to be a part of that magic. So my background is as a school teacher. I taught school for six years, language and literature and reading, and so I love both tapping into imagination of children, into literacy, into learning, and just the sheer magic of Santa Claus on the North Pole and Christmas, and so it's our job to answer those questions. We're all passionate about it. We have roughly 120 employees that all work for Santa Claus full time.
Speaker 2:Do you have any idea how many elves there are out in the world? I?
Speaker 1:do? I know there are close to roughly 30 million. Oh my gosh, isn't that so cool? That's amazing it really is.
Speaker 2:What does everybody do when it's not Christmas?
Speaker 1:Well, the elves are very busy at the North Pole when it is not Christmas. I can tell you that you know they have other jobs for Santa that they have to do and it takes a lot of prep work. It keeps us busy leading up to actually Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, which of course, are the grand finale of each year. It is definitely a 365-day year job at the North Pole. So whether the elves are busy in your homes at Christmas time, I can assure you they're very busy year round, even when they've gone back to the North Pole until the holidays roll around again.
Speaker 2:And a question that I've often gotten how on earth does Santa get around the world in one night?
Speaker 1:Yeah, so this is a great example of why we created the Santaverse, right? It's all of these questions that kids have, and so we actually introduced our elf pets Arctic Fox, who was touched by the Luma Stella Stone. So it was part of this comet that fell from the Christmas star and landed in this magical world of elves, and it imbued this Arctic fox with magical abilities, and so it was basically touched by the Christmas star with this comet that fell. So both Nora, who's the mom, and the elf pets Arctic fox cubs. She can spark the northern lights, and that's how Santa travels the world in one night, because it can pause time. She also has this magical ability to spark snowflakes with her tail, and so now he can, even if you don't have snow, wherever you live right, he can land on rooftops, and so that's a great example of why we needed to create this Antiverse and answer these questions for kids, and so that answer specifically is found in the Elf Pets Arctic Fox series and in Extraordinary Nora, the new book about their mom.
Speaker 2:So we all know that Santa's got an amazing heart and spirit. How do you distribute profits to charitable initiatives and give back to the world?
Speaker 1:Yeah, you know, my sister's always said people buy from people they like, and I think that's really wise. In our case, and I have to just give total kudos to our HR, I think they've done a great job hiring people who are authentic to our cause. We work for Santa, whose sole job, right, is to create toys that bring joy and happiness right and spread generosity selfless generosity. No one leaves $5 or $10 by the fireplace when he comes right and spread generosity selfless generosity. No one leaves $5 or $10 by the fireplace when he comes right. And so for us, when I think about who Santa Claus really is, I think it has to be a natural part of the fabric of your company and because of that, I think our company it's an outpouring of the spirit of the humans that work for Santa Claus. So in our case, we have one employee. Her only job is philanthropy. It's all outpouring of the spirit of the humans that work for Santa Claus. So in our case, we have one employee. Her only job is philanthropy, it's all she does, all the time, full time, which makes us very accessible to agencies and organizations that need us, but also all the donations, requests that come in.
Speaker 1:My sister and I both sit on several philanthropic boards. We have speakers that come in and speak to the company. So recently we did one with Folds of Honor supporting our military veterans. We found out that many times, while the troops might get a lot of care packages, the families left behind and the families left at home get very little. So we put together whole care packages for these families that are left here just to let them know we appreciate their sacrifice too. So each of our employees receives a discretionary fund that they're able to give company money away to organizations that they care about as well. So again, I think part of it is just being genuine in you know who we are and what we do, and part of that is having a generous spirit, and I think that's really important. It is very rare, unless someone does not align with our philanthropic mission statements, that we don't donate to causes that are near and dear to our heart.
Speaker 2:And what do you do about any criticism that you receive? I mean every business in the world receives criticism for one reason or another. I mean every business in the world receives criticism for one reason or another. And with Elf on the Shelf, you know things I maybe have heard is promoting consumerism around the holidays, or maybe the creepy surveillance aspect, Like what do you say to those?
Speaker 1:Well, I think that's a great question. I think, if you're going to sit in any sort of creative capacity, you know you've got to have a tough skin in any sort of creative capacity you know you've got to have a tough skin. So, in my role as co-CEO and I'm co-founder with my sister and co-CEO, but we sort of divide that between the operational side of the business and the creative side of the business and I run the entire creative side of the business and that includes, you know, I've written all of our storybooks, our songs, our animated specials, alongside with Santa Claus. But you have to have really tough skin.
Speaker 1:People have opinions on everything. Many times I find that a lot of people who have opinions actually never read our books or stories. They just develop their opinion based on what they see online. Right, and people are going to think what they're going to think. All we can do is be true to ourselves and to our mission statement and our vision of telling the stories of Santa's North Pole. Our purpose is to create joyful family moments. So, you know, for me, being able to put my head down on the pillow and say we put out the best possible product, we hit our vision, our mission and our purpose, according to our values, which are fire, family, integrity, respect and excellence, and if we do that, we put out the best possible product possible and we're all proud of it. That's really all you can do, and then you, just you hope that you, you tap into the good in people and you know that spirit Christmas, but our whole goal is to create joy. So what people do with that is up to them.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so true, and when you were rattling off those values of the company, can you expand on that and tell us a little bit more about what those values mean to you?
Speaker 1:Yeah. So you know, we didn't really even set out to start a company, had no idea that that's what we were getting into when we couldn't get anyone to publish this story that my mom and I had written, based on our family tradition. So here we are plodding along, we're starting a company. We have no idea what we're doing. I still marvel at the way it all came together, because now, right, I have industrial designers and engineers and all these amazing people that put product together, and back then it was literally me and my mom and my sister with one computer and one phone and no experience and all that goes with that. So it was probably, I would say, four to five years in where we figure out OK, we are a company, you know what does this mean and what does this stand for, and what do we stand for as a company. And I remember being at one of our employees at the Times House and we really talked through, like what are the things that are really important to us as humans? And then how can that be an outpouring of what we expect to see within our employee base and in our company, to see within our employee base and in our company? And so what we came up with was FIRE, a family focus, which everything that we create is really family focused and designed for a family moment.
Speaker 1:Right, we have integrity. That's who you are as a person and how you hold yourself, and that is very much a high bar for us. I feel like trustworthiness, integrity these are traits that are expected of all elves, right, that work at the North Pole and work for Santa Claus. And, again, it's about having that authenticity that's inside of you that then pours out in an authentic way, and I think people see through things that aren't, and so it's really important to us that our employee base carries themselves with integrity. We have respect, of course, for ourselves and for other people. It's a key part of who we are. How do we talk to each other in the office? What's that experience like? And then excellence we say no to a lot of opportunities when something is not the right fit or it's not going to provide an excellent consumer experience. And I think, if you look at our portfolio of brands across all the websites right, amazon, walmart, target, you name it for the most part, we are five-star reviews, really on all our product line, and so that's really important to us.
Speaker 2:Those are really wonderful values for your company. Can you give us some behind the scenes on what it's like in the office right now?
Speaker 1:Oh my goodness, Do I still have hair left? Do I have makeup on? Have I had a shower? You know being the voice of Santa Claus and it really does take all year to prepare for what happens to us in these, I would say. And this year, with Thanksgiving being late, you know it is a four to six week sprint of just absolute madness. You know social media blows up. We are posting content, we're managing content, you've got buyers who already want to talk about next year. So you know you have to facilitate that as well. And just the sheer volume of everything in the marketing world is just expansive. You know we are the number one search term right now on Amazon and think about just how much sits on Amazon, right? So just the sheer volume of what it takes to prepare and execute in this very, very tight window is what all of our staff works tirelessly to accomplish.
Speaker 2:What will happen after the holidays then? Is there a break?
Speaker 1:There is. We actually closed the office entirely between Christmas and New Year's because everybody needs it. It does not count against anyone's vacation time, it's just a paid week off. Enjoy it, go survive somewhere, right, and then you know it's back to it. But that's a key piece of just recoup and recovery, because it is a very, very intense sprint. We can't move Christmas and so we've got to deliver on our company promise the joyful family moments, and it is in a very tight time frame.
Speaker 2:How do you handle your decisions on expansion for the company while maintaining all of those values and also balancing and preserving the original magic that was a part of the tradition?
Speaker 1:That's a great question. I think a lot of it has to do with having the right staff in place right. So a lot of what comes forward as proposals have already been vetted through those lenses of partners that also share our value system. They share our vision and our mission and they want to help us tell and craft these stories of Santa's North Pole by creating joyful family moments. So a lot of that I have to give credit to our staff, who does a good job of vetting those opportunities and trying to find partners that feel the same way. You know in the UK, for example, the company that we partner with there. I mean, we are generally their sole business. They're almost like an offshoot of us. They fell so in love with the elf on the shelf and we're just like we want to be you in the UK, and so we've just really been able to find great partners and people who are as passionate about it as we are.
Speaker 2:If it were up to you and everything that you want and desire, what would you like to see for the company in the next decade?
Speaker 1:Well, I think what really matters to me, to my sister and my mom, is legacy. I think that's the real driver for us. It's having these moments matter for children and being here to help them craft their own tradition and legacy, you know, for their own children. So, like my children are now getting to be grown, my son is 23. My daughter is 18. And so I, you know I, will feel like we have accomplished what we're supposed to if our company is still around and they're able to create those joyful family moments for their own children because of the work that we did and the groundwork. I think the Santaverse, being as synonymous with Christmas as the elf on the shelf or Santa Claus, would be a huge dream come true where we're able to sort of craft these stories and that when people see that brand, they know it's trusted, they know it's love, they know it's about fire, you know family integrity, respect and excellence, they know what we're doing and it means something to them. I think those are all really important things for me when I look forward.
Speaker 2:Legacy is a word that's come up in other conversations. When you say legacy, does this extend to like having your family continue on with the tradition, or is this more just for your own inner happiness and well-being, like what is the motivator?
Speaker 1:I have such a passion for telling these stories so, like next year, we're launching our first ever chapter book, right, and it literally goes all the way back to like how this little boy named Nicholas is about to become Santa Claus. You know how did he meet all the elves? And in my mind this is a seven volume series. We're doing that in partnership with Harper Collins. I just have such a passion for these stories.
Speaker 1:I love who I believe Santa Claus is this version of St Nicholas and in giving parents a chance to use characters kids love to imbue again these greater values and traditions and moments for their family. And I'm just super, super passionate about it, probably because that's how I wanted to parent, right, and so it is very personal. You know, it is my hope that one day my kids would come and work in the company, but that may not be in the cards for either of them or for us. But I think feeling like the Santa verse can be, you know, again, synonymous, I think, of, like other greats, like Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer or Grinch. It supersedes any of the creators, right? And it's just the fabric of what we know at this special time of year and so I think, the driver. For all of us that work at the company in some way or other, even if they're no longer with us, is that they played a part in that.
Speaker 2:Who is Santa Claus to you Like? So I can tell he's a very important person to you and you have incredible memories from your childhood. But if you were to rewind and kind of get back to when you were a child and and that journey between then and now, like who is Santa Claus to you?
Speaker 1:I vividly remember, of course we had the elf, which was so importantly but I vividly remember one Christmas Eve staring out the window and there was this gorgeous big full moon and I remember thinking I'm going to stay awake and I'm going to be the one that sees him like literally cry, like that iconic shot right and all the movies you know. I'm going to stay up so late and watch, I'm going to see him, I'm going to spot Santa. We didn't have a lot. I had a very, very modest upbringing and so much time was spent in my imagination and in this ability to to foster this, this world, and so I'm so fortunate to have found, you know, my life's calling and bringing that to life for all of these other children all over the globe and getting to represent what I believe is the spirit of Santa Claus. You know who he is and was a St Nicholas truly generous of heart and spirit.
Speaker 1:I feel like a little bit, it's like my mission field and so I think that's a big part of my driver, but it also has to balance with the fact that you know we have to run a business and that's just hard. That's just hard. Life, like running a business, is hard. It's people management, process management, budget management, it's all the things that come with that, but at its core and at its heart of what we offer, it is definitely not money that drives us, because there's a lot of times that my sister and I are still the last ones to be paid, because it's like we got to make this next Christmas special or we've got to put out this book, or we need more employees so that our you know, we can achieve this anniversary. And that's just what it looks like as still a small business with a global IP brand.
Speaker 2:I know we haven't talked actually that much about the business part of what you've been doing. How long have you had this company?
Speaker 1:first of all, so next year will be 20 years, so we started in 2005.
Speaker 2:In those 20 years, what have been some of the most challenging parts?
Speaker 1:Along is your podcast, anne. Yeah, there's a lot there. We've overcome so much. You know we started this company. We were told that our product was destined for the damaged goods bin. The fact that we ever even launched to begin with is miraculous. We had no money, we had no experience, we didn't know people with money or experience, so it was really just sort of one foot in front of the other. And now to build that into a company that's still standing 20 years later, with 120 employees and almost 30 countries or at least we will be by next year it's a huge honor and I think it's just a huge testament to a lot of sacrifice and hard work.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and the best parts. Have you had any of those days like favorite day of your whole business?
Speaker 1:Oh my goodness, yeah, those are better than the yucky stories, yeah. So to go back to your early question, you know we have faced everything from, you know, trusted employees stealing from the company so you have literally nothing left in a bank account to. We've had employees walk out the door and steal things and be like good luck. You know, I mean just especially early on. I think small businesses are very susceptible to that kind of thing. But when you do get to take a hold of those good days, man, like seeing your balloon in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade or walking down the aisle at the grocery store and you see your box of cereal, it's moments like that that just never, ever get old moments like that that just never, ever get old.
Speaker 2:If your kids decided that they wanted to start their own business and they, they didn't want to work with Santa, they really just wanted to start their own thing what advice would you give them as aspiring entrepreneurs?
Speaker 1:It's fun.
Speaker 1:That's a really fun question, because I actually think that's where I'm going to end up.
Speaker 1:I think my daughter has a very entrepreneurial, creative slant to her, and whether or not she decides to pour that into the North Pole, of course I would love that, but I honestly I see her opening up her own line in her own business one day.
Speaker 1:I don't know if she thinks that, but I definitely see her that way. So what I love for her is that, unlike myself, who had to learn every little single step of the way by myself or you know, krista and mom and I mean it was like collective pieces of information, literally learning like one tiny step at a time, trial and error I feel like you know, if she were to want my guidance and advice and connections and you know that there's just so much she wouldn't have to learn the hard way. And so I hope, if I've done my job as a parent, she understands that wisdom involves asking a lot of questions from a lot of wise counsel, and I think if she did that, I would be able to connect her with enough of the right people to help set her up for success. So I think you know seeking wise counsel and not being afraid to admit what you don't know are two probably key pieces of the advice that I would give her.
Speaker 2:Is there anything else that you wish that you had known? That somebody else would have told you at the very beginning your first five years?
Speaker 1:I have often said that I wish I had taken a business class or two. So I do tell people to try to expose yourself to as much knowledge as possible, because you just don't know. I mean, many people do not start out where they graduated. Right, I got this degree and I did this. Most of the time I meet people who are second, third career right, I got this degree and I did this. Most of the time I meet people who are second, third career right, the path took them different ways and so I think getting as much exposure to as much as you can, that never falls on sort of dead soil if you are always trying to teach yourself and learn. So I've had to learn everything from you know literally how to make an animated special to how to get product and books made.
Speaker 1:I never took a business class. I didn't know what a business plan was. You know all of that. So those were the things that I wish maybe I had done a little more of, just so I wouldn't have been starting so far behind the eight ball. But I also am a huge believer that my path in education is what makes me so good at my job. Now I understand how children think how they relate to our products. They can be really pure and innocent of heart, and so you were asking earlier about like the critics, and oftentimes I'm like no, that's because you're putting your yucky adult spin on things. Like, if you just let kids see this with the eyes of their heart, like it's, it's always like the purest joy and those are definitely the good days, it really is truly joyful.
Speaker 2:As a parent, you know, we were hesitant for a while to invite an elf into our home, knowing what we were opening a world to, but I'm really happy that we have one and the joy and the wonder and the magic that I get to see and my daughter mostly is really, really wonderful. So just for a final question here, and this one is more just about life If you could go back and talk with yourself when you were in your early twenties, what would you say?
Speaker 1:Wow, that's a great question. I'm a huge believer that your journey and your experience is what, like I needed all of that to get me here to where I am today, and that a lot of times there's like leaps of faith or the steps that I took. Had I known what was coming next, or how hard it would be, or how giant it seemed, the obstacle it's like? Are you even willing to take those next steps? Right, I think I would have told myself that I have a great husband and amazing children and that I'm not going to go to jail for the credit card debt that I'm going to incur. You know, on these, on these box sets, you know, take the risk, it's all going to be okay, you can sleep at night. People are going to love it the way that you think they will.
Speaker 2:Well, Shanda, thank you so much for coming on the show and sharing bits of your story and Elf on the Shelf story and Santa's story with all of us.
Speaker 1:Thank you so much for having me. Like I said, this is just a complete honor and a joy and I appreciate you giving an hour of your day and all your listeners that are tuning in to my story. You know, it's kind of crazy to me to think about the fact that I'm sitting here and that I have a story people want to listen to, right. Thank you so much for the opportunity. I appreciate it to Right. Thank you so much for the opportunity I appreciate it.
Speaker 2:Today's key takeaways Magic opens the door to what if it encourages us to dream bigger, think differently and see possibilities where others see limits. This mindset is a powerful driver of future innovation and creative problem solving by encouraging childlike curiosity and playfulness. Entire business around teaching adults how to tap into their creative process with playful techniques that come easy for children but is forgotten in adulthood. So keeping magic alive really has its benefits. Define your values. Ask yourself what are the things that are really important to you as a human? What do your actions stand for? When you're clear on your values, they'll guide your decisions and help you create something meaningful and lasting.
Speaker 2:Creative work requires thick skin. Opinions, especially online, can be harsh, uninformed or just noise. Stay true to your mission, vision and values If you're proud of the work you're doing and aligned with your purpose. That's all that matters. Invest in learning. Even a few business classes can give you a head start and help you move faster. Few business classes can give you a head start and help you move faster. Wisdom also comes from asking questions and learning from those who've been there before. Don't be afraid to admit what you don't know. Leaps of faith and big obstacles often lead to the most rewarding moments. Trust yourself to figure it out step by step, even when the next step feels uncertain or scary. Focus on creating something that lights you up, not just for the paycheck, but because it truly matters to you. And, lastly, expose yourself to as much knowledge as you can. Learning and curiosity are the keys to growth and success, no matter where your path takes you. That's it for today, a reminder that season two starts January 21st, and I hope to see you there. Have a great day.
