This Week: We are exploring how you can make a lot of money working as Santa - in just a few short months.

Today, we’ll chat about a handful of people who took an idea and turned it into something money-making. On Friday, I’ll leave your inbox alone.

Know someone who’d get a kick out this newsletter?

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Santa Claus is Coming to Town & Charging Good $$$$

During the holiday season, I go to malls just to watch Santa.

I know that sounds creepy, but it fascinates me for so many reasons.

As someone who is Jewish and never celebrated Christmas until 6 years ago when I met my husband, I never understood the concept of mall Santa’s or having people dress up in a red suit and walk into a party screaming “Ho, Ho, Ho, Merry Christmas!”

But now, I go to malls and see long lines of people paying $50-$500 for photo packages with Santa and can’t help but think to myself:

DOES ANYONE ELSE SEE HOW THIS RIGHT HERE IS AN ODD JOB?

If you still believe Santa is real, I beg you to stop reading this newsletter today and come back again next Monday….

If you don’t believe Santa is real, have you ever thought about the people who put on the costume, sit on a comfy chair, and tell kids that they’ll get all the gifts their heart desires?

Have you ever thought about how much money they make during a 2-month period and how you could make that cash too!

There aren’t just people who do the mall Santa gig - no. There’s people like Santa Ed who do TV appearances, parties, virtual parties, corporate events, weddings, and more.

This Santa odd job can bring in so much money that for some people, they only have to work 2-months of the year….imagine that!

Here’s how.

How to Become a Santa

Can anyone just become a Santa? Yes, of course. However, some people - who want to really do this as their hustle - do it the right way.

They go to…SANTA SCHOOL (which hello, this is another odd business you can create. Those that don’t want to be Santa, teach others how to do it instead and make $$$).

According to this Santa school, their mission is:

To uphold the traditions and preserve the history of Santa Claus while providing students with the necessary resources to improve and further define their individual presentations of Santa and Mrs. Claus, allowing them to enter the hearts and spread the Christmas spirit to everyone they meet.

How much does Santa school cost? Around $580 - which isn’t that much cash considering you can make that back in a gig or two working as Santa.

Here’s what you get for that price tag + here are 7 Santa schools out there.

If you skip school, you can still do this gig - so that’s up to you!

What Do You Need for the Job:

Can anyone be Santa? It’s 2021, I’d say anyone who wants to be Santa - should be Santa! However, you have to have the personality to want to do it.

For example, you have to be good at:

-Talking to kids

-Dealing with all different types of personalities

-Handling emotions - crying! temper tantrums! more crying! Not just from the kids!

-Storytelling

-Staying in character 100% of the time you’re working the gig

-Marketing so you can set yourself apart from the other Santa’s out there

-A website to promote your Santa services

-Networking skills to find jobs at local shopping centers, restaurants, event spaces, businesses, parties, etc.

-A few hundred dollars to buy the outfits, wig, makeup, etc.

-A ticket to Santa school ($580)

Land Your 1st Gig as Santa:

Once you’re ready to suit up as Santa, here’s where you can find available gigs:

Indeed Jobs for Santa/Elves/More

Create a profile on Hire Santa

Create a profile on Gig Salad

Join a Santa FB group

What’s the Pay Like?

Let’s talk money, shall we?

According to Zip Recruiter, the average annual pay for a Mall Santa in the United States is $39,501 a year. A Mall Santa in NYC makes on average $43,327 per year, or $3,826 (10%) more than the national average annual salary of $39,501. New York ranks number 10 out of 50 states nationwide for Mall Santa salaries.

Freelance Santas can earn more (and if you had professional training, you can up your fee).

According to CNBC & Dan Greenleaf, a professional freelance Santa who runs his own booking agency, imsanta.org, a typical hourly mid-range is about $150 but there are some Santa’s earning $500 an hour.

Let’s say you charge $250 and hour (With a 3-hour minimum for parties or events) and you worked M-F during Nov/Dec ….for just 3-hours a day….- you’d make $30,000 in just those two months.

Wow.

Let’s say you wanted to work a ton of days and hours and did 2 (3-hour) gigs a day, you’d make $60,000 in just 2-months.

Perhaps this is on your money-making to-do list next year. Either way, I bet you’ll never look at a mall Santa the same way!

-Jen “Odd” Glantz

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Jen Glantz is a whimsical entrepreneur, 3x author, podcast host, and all-around pizza-obsessed goofball.

Here's what she is currently working on:

Books

You're Not Getting Any Younger Podcast

Bridesmaid for Hire

Odd Jobs Newsletter

The First Years of Marriage Newsletter

The Monday Pick-Me-Up Newsletter

Jen & Juice Business & Life Coaching

The Newlywed Card Game

Company Workshops - here’s an example of a recent one I did for GoDaddy