TALKING TIME
WE ARE TALKING TO: SANTA
CLAUS
Santa Claus may be the only man who holds it, but being Santa Claus is
a job, and a big one at that. If you'd want to follow his comings and
goings, you can check up with him at his
blog.
1. Can you break down the criteria for ending up on the naughty and nice
lists? (Not that I'm trying to game the system, but just to clear up
any gray area.)
While there is a fairly complex algorithm that we apply
in compiling the official list, it really just boils down to the basics
here: Do you treat others as you would treat yourself? Do you obey and
honor your parents? Said differently, we apply the basic tenets and values
of Judeo-Christian tradition.
2. How *do* you visit all those homes on a single night?
The key is North
Pole Time. I am not the right person to explain exactly how it works,
it is far too technical for me... but I can say that because we sit at
the junction of all the time zones, there are some unique capabilities
we have realized in moving easily between time zones. That in and of
itself is not all that remarkable. But there is something magical about
how we can travel within a time zone and return to the North Pole - no
matter how long we have been gone - within the same hour we left as long
as we arrive and depart from the Launch pad. The Launch pad is directly
on the true North Pole. Time doesn't stop so much as it "re-sets." It
is this capability that we leverage to deliver to 302M homes in a 24
hour period. If you want to know how we determine how many homes, see
my December 20, 2007 post.
3. How is global warming affecting the your work, if at all?
Global warming
is an issue that we should not take lightly; however, we have been fortunate
that it has not yet affected our work in a negative manner. While it
is questionable whether or not human activity is the prime contributor
to the current warming trend, I believe we should operate under the assumption
that it is. As such, we have made changes to become a "greener" operation.
Every year we manufacture or procure several billion toys that are then
distributed worldwide. It is a huge challenge to minimize the impact
of those operations on the environment but it is a challenge that we
are not shying away from. We are proud of the progress we have made but
we are not satisified. We believe we can do more. We have set some ambitious
goals and we will not rest until we meet or exceed those goals. Check
out a few factoids about what we have done... or are planning on doing...
to minimize our impact on the environment:
*Our worldwide distribution and business travel produces NO greenhouse
gases thanks to our reindeer-powered sleighs. The sleighs' on-board electronics
are all powered by solar cells.
*Our company-owned manufacturing and office facilities are all powered
by wind-generated energy. Our facilities are all equipped with windmills
that produce enough energy to not only offset our own usage but to also
put surplus energy back into the grid.
*All of our third party partners must reduce their greenhouse gas emissions
and energy usage by 10% year over year for the next 10 years. Failure
to do so will result in the cancellation of their contracts.
*We currently re-plant one tree for every Christmas tree we cut for use
at the North Pole and/or for delivery. Our goal is to re-plant 3 trees
for each Christmas Tree by 2010.
*We recycle every Christmas tree we use on North Pole Inc. property.
*We are actively sponsoring a campaign to eliminate artificial Christmas
trees. While on the surface they may appear to be more environmentally
friendly, 90% of those "trees" end up in landfills within 10
years.
*We recycle or re-use 70+% of our waste from toy production every year.
Our goal is to be at 90+% by 2010 and at 100% by 2015.
*Our goal is to reduce waste from our toy production by 10% year over
year.
*We are actively lobbying toy manufacturers to provide recycling programs
for toys and batteries. By 2012, it will be a requirement for any manufacturer
wishing to supply the North Pole operations.
*You can learn more about what we are doing at our website.
4. Is becoming Santa something anyone can aspire to, or do you
have to be born to it? How about being an elf?
There is only one Santa. At least
until I pass. I was born "Santa." I don't claim to have any
magical powers despite what some of the storybooks, movies, and fairy
tales may lead you to believe. The only thing possibly magical about
me is the fact that I'm several hundred years old and still in sound
physical and mental shape. Candidly, I don't know how or why I have been
blessed with such a long life and good health. Some have speculated it
is the fact that Iive at the North Pole, in the middle of some 'timeless
vortex'. Others have speculated that it is God's reward for living a
life of giving. I don't know... I am just thankful. Assuming I may pass
someday, I have set up a perpetual trust that will allow the North Pole
Inc. operations to continue. Someone will be named CEO to succeed me
and that person will perform the role I have today, but Santa is my name,
not a title. So whoever replaces me will not, at least technically, be "Santa."
As far as being an elf, you cannot aspire to be an elf. Elves are a race.
You have to be born an elf just like you are born to be Caucasian or
Asian or any other race. But if you are referring to being a toy craftsman
at North Pole Inc., yes, you can aspire to that. We are an equal opportunity
employer. As long as you have mastered the craft of toy building, you
can work at the North Pole.
5. With today's modern electronics, do you
find you have to outsource some of the work, or can the elves still make
everything in their workshop?
We do outsource quite heavily. And have
done so for a number of years indirectly in that we have contracted major
manufacturers to build product on our behalf. We don't build that Nintendo
Wii you got last Christmas.... we contracted with Nintendo to build it
for us in mass quantities. Every year I spend much of my "off-season" negotiating
rates & product availability with various manufacturers of electronics
and other toys for all of the items we anticipate will have the greatest
demand in the upcoming Christmas season. This past year, we established
more direct outsource operations across India and China. It was not a
case of laying off anyone -- all of our current employees remained in
their jobs -- but rather a case of increasing capacity that we simply
could not add at the North Pole due to physical constraints. Even so,
it did create a lot of angst and led to a strike by the elves' union.
Fortunately, we were able to resolve the dispute and the elves were back
to work in time to not jeopardize the Christmas season.
6. I've never quite understood the economics of the magic of Christmas.
I mean, isn't it expensive to provide gifts for all those kids? Where
does the money come from for the labor, materials, and transportation?
We are a non-profit operation. Virtually all of the funds come from my
personal investments, though a few major corporations do donate goods
and labor. My father was an exiled king. Before I was born, he had ruled
a kingdom that stretches across much of what is now Germany. Soon after
my mother became pregnant with me, my father's younger brother, who had
been the next in line for the throne, conspired with a neighboring king
to overthrow my father. Fearing for the life of my mother and me, my
father fled to Norway. Despite fleeing, he remained extremely wealthy.
It was my father that started the tradition. Even though we remained
wealthy, we lived like paupers and my father gave away bags gold anonymously
to many of our neighbors every Christmas Eve. I was well into my adult
years before I even knew about the family fortune, my father's past,
or his anonymous generosity. After he passed and I inherited the family
fortune, I set about an even grander vision of genorisity. Having stumbled
onto the flying reindeer and subsequently being introduced to the elves
earlier in my life, I saw possibilities for expanding the scope of our
giving to a scale that my father never dreamed possible during his lifetime.
7. How do you get down those chimneys?
I just dive in. I have to stay
in shape to be able to dive and catch myself at the bottom so I maintain
a regular running and weight-lifting regimine. I dive head first because
it is the easiest way to see any obstacles, including still smoldering
coals. It is important to note that my scout team checks out the chimneys
ahead of time so I know which ones are safe to dive into and which ones
require me to enter the house by some other means. Even with the scouting
team's work, I have been stuck more times that I care to admit. We carry
retrieval equipment for those times. Please note to the children that
read this.... It is IMPERATIVE that you NOT try chimney diving or any
other type of chimney entry. Such activities are only for trained professionals.
8. If you couldn't do what you do, what would be your second
job choice?
My second job choice would be to be a school teacher. If that weren't
possible, I'd want to be a coach.
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