Ep. 59: Old Time Photos...An MOA® Original

[00:00:00] [SPEAKER_00]: Mall of America, for more than 30 years it has been a retail leader and an international destination

[00:00:05] [SPEAKER_00]: and it remains the largest mall in the U.S. Not to mention it welcomes millions of guests from around the world.

[00:00:12] [SPEAKER_00]: It's huge! But it's also so much more.

[00:00:15] [SPEAKER_00]: In this podcast you're going to hear the real stories of how it started and why it continues to thrive.

[00:00:20] [SPEAKER_00]: You'll hear about challenges we've faced along the way and what you can learn from them.

[00:00:24] [SPEAKER_00]: We will feature guests and experts from all walks of life and business and along the way you'll laugh, learn

[00:00:30] [SPEAKER_00]: and maybe even change the way you look at things.

[00:00:33] [SPEAKER_00]: So if you're a fan of the mall, a brand new visitor, an entrepreneur or a dreamer,

[00:00:38] [SPEAKER_00]: prepare to dive deep into so much more.

[00:00:41] [SPEAKER_00]: This podcast is presented by the Bloomington Convention and Visitors Bureau.

[00:00:45] [SPEAKER_01]: Hi everyone and welcome to this episode of So Much More.

[00:00:49] [SPEAKER_01]: I am your host Dan Jaspere here at Mall of America.

[00:00:52] [SPEAKER_01]: My co-host, colleague and friend Grant Bunchy-Grant. How are you doing today?

[00:00:56] [SPEAKER_01]: I'm doing great. Thanks Dan.

[00:00:57] [SPEAKER_01]: Thank you for joining me today. We're going to have a great conversation.

[00:01:01] [SPEAKER_01]: Mall of America is big, right? It's huge!

[00:01:04] [SPEAKER_01]: 520 stores, millions of guests every year. Huge events going on that are nonstop, a giant aquarium

[00:01:12] [SPEAKER_01]: and there's so much to talk about and that's one of the reasons we called this podcast So Much More.

[00:01:17] [SPEAKER_01]: But we're going to talk about something really unique today.

[00:01:21] [SPEAKER_01]: We're honored to have two very special guests with us today. Rachel Zuleger. Close?

[00:01:27] [SPEAKER_05]: Yes.

[00:01:28] [SPEAKER_01]: I was paranoid about getting Rachel's last name wrong so I've asked her like eight times.

[00:01:35] [SPEAKER_01]: That was good.

[00:01:35] [SPEAKER_01]: They are the owners and operators of a specialty photography shop here at Mall of America.

[00:01:42] [SPEAKER_01]: Professor Z, a lot of people may know it as old time photos.

[00:01:48] [SPEAKER_01]: You may not know this. It is one of the original stores at Mall of America opened in 1992.

[00:01:55] [SPEAKER_01]: Still running strong and Rachel and Lando have a story to share with us today. Welcome guys.

[00:02:01] [SPEAKER_01]: How are you?

[00:02:01] [SPEAKER_01]: Thanks for having us.

[00:02:02] [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, great.

[00:02:03] [SPEAKER_01]: Doing great.

[00:02:04] [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, it's fun to have you here. We were talking ahead of time and really want to get a sense of who you are

[00:02:09] [SPEAKER_01]: and I'm going to start with Rachel because it kind of all started with you.

[00:02:13] [SPEAKER_01]: How did you get involved with this business originally and how did you evolve into owning it and operating it?

[00:02:21] [SPEAKER_05]: Yeah, well I came to Minneapolis to go to University of Minnesota.

[00:02:28] [SPEAKER_05]: And as a freshman my roommate and some friends we came to the Mall of America and did an old time photo.

[00:02:37] [SPEAKER_01]: Dressed as?

[00:02:38] [SPEAKER_05]: We were flappers.

[00:02:39] [SPEAKER_01]: Yep, we were flapper girls.

[00:02:41] [SPEAKER_05]: And I had always wanted to do one and it was affordable enough that three college students could get photos done.

[00:02:49] [SPEAKER_05]: And so we hung that photo proudly in our dorm room and a couple years later I came in for an interview to work there

[00:02:58] [SPEAKER_05]: because I was a theater major and a photography student at the U of M

[00:03:04] [SPEAKER_05]: and it seemed like that was the place for me to be.

[00:03:08] [SPEAKER_01]: So you were part time but then you advanced there?

[00:03:11] [SPEAKER_05]: Yeah, so then I became the manager in 2005. I've been there for a long time.

[00:03:16] [SPEAKER_05]: But yeah, I came the manager in 2005 and met Landon shortly thereafter.

[00:03:23] [SPEAKER_01]: So I said Landon, but you go by Landon, right?

[00:03:28] [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, I go by both.

[00:03:29] [SPEAKER_01]: Okay, perfect, we'll do that.

[00:03:30] [SPEAKER_01]: And I just have to ask the final part of this question if that's all right, Grant.

[00:03:34] [SPEAKER_01]: Is Landon, tell me how you got involved and how you first met?

[00:03:40] [SPEAKER_04]: Well back in around 2005 I was taking care of my grandmother who needed some assistance getting through the day.

[00:03:49] [SPEAKER_04]: And when we did that, we would always plan field trips.

[00:03:53] [SPEAKER_04]: The field trips usually had us ending at Mall of America so much to do and there could be a different thing that we did at the mall every time we came.

[00:04:02] [SPEAKER_04]: So we would come here and do some fun stuff and kill time and help my grandma kind of get through the day and have some fun with her

[00:04:13] [SPEAKER_04]: so she's not just sitting at home all day.

[00:04:15] [SPEAKER_04]: And one of those days we came and went into old time photos.

[00:04:22] [SPEAKER_04]: And that's when I first saw Rachel and was smitten, we'll call it we'll say.

[00:04:29] [SPEAKER_04]: And she was so kind to us and patient with my grandmother who was, her mobility wasn't the greatest.

[00:04:37] [SPEAKER_04]: And I was just like, oh my gosh, this girl is fantastic.

[00:04:42] [SPEAKER_04]: And we had so much fun.

[00:04:44] [SPEAKER_04]: And back in the day where the photos weren't instant, we had to come back.

[00:04:48] [SPEAKER_04]: We had to come back to get those today.

[00:04:51] [SPEAKER_04]: You know they come out in seconds but you know we had a 20 or 30 minute wait and my heart was in my chest because this was going to be the first time that I wanted to ask a girl out.

[00:05:03] [SPEAKER_04]: I have always been, I guess, fortunate enough to have someone ask me out on a date that I had never asked a girl out on a date before.

[00:05:12] [SPEAKER_04]: And so I consulted my grandmother of course, right?

[00:05:16] [SPEAKER_04]: My very strong willed German grandmother just told me like it was.

[00:05:22] [SPEAKER_04]: She's like, you know, don't be a wimp.

[00:05:26] [SPEAKER_04]: Just tell her that you like her and want to buy her dinner.

[00:05:28] [SPEAKER_04]: I was like, well that seems simple enough.

[00:05:30] [SPEAKER_04]: I think I can get those words out.

[00:05:34] [SPEAKER_04]: So I'm practicing.

[00:05:36] [SPEAKER_04]: Grandma's giving me tips on how to ask a girl out.

[00:05:39] [SPEAKER_04]: I was probably what 22, 23 years old and we went back and Rachel wasn't there.

[00:05:47] [SPEAKER_04]: And I was like, oh no.

[00:05:51] [SPEAKER_04]: Another employee was working there and showed us our photos and got us wrong out.

[00:05:56] [SPEAKER_04]: And I just, I said, you know what?

[00:05:58] [SPEAKER_04]: What happened to the photographer that helped us and Rachel ended up being on lunch break.

[00:06:03] [SPEAKER_04]: So now I didn't have a plan B.

[00:06:05] [SPEAKER_04]: I was going to ask her face to face while I had a little crinkle of paper in my pocket and I pulled that out.

[00:06:13] [SPEAKER_04]: And I wrote my name and number on it and asked that girl if she could give this to Rachel.

[00:06:19] [SPEAKER_04]: It happened to be the wheelchair receipt of the rental here in the mall.

[00:06:24] [SPEAKER_04]: So I thought that would give me a little bit of leverage.

[00:06:26] [SPEAKER_04]: I remember me on the nice guy with my grandmother.

[00:06:30] [SPEAKER_03]: Little reminder that I go mother, yeah, there's something.

[00:06:33] [SPEAKER_04]: And if that didn't work, I followed up with a physical comic card.

[00:06:37] [SPEAKER_04]: Again, this wasn't the online reviews.

[00:06:40] [SPEAKER_04]: This was a physical card that I filled out and put a stamp on and mailed in and sung her praises.

[00:06:48] [SPEAKER_04]: And this was the previous owner got in touch with Rachel and sent it to her and said, oh, you got a great review.

[00:06:58] [SPEAKER_04]: And she probably matched up the wheelchair receipt with this comic card and the name.

[00:07:04] [SPEAKER_04]: And probably a couple of weeks later, I got a phone call.

[00:07:08] [SPEAKER_05]: Well, I had to call after that.

[00:07:10] [SPEAKER_05]: Yeah, for sure.

[00:07:11] [SPEAKER_05]: Yeah, what was your reaction when you got the receipt with the phone number?

[00:07:15] [SPEAKER_05]: I was like, oh, some guys would use a puppy or children says he's in his grandma.

[00:07:22] [SPEAKER_02]: Which actually worked.

[00:07:24] [SPEAKER_02]: It worked.

[00:07:26] [SPEAKER_04]: I love it. How many stars did you give her?

[00:07:29] [SPEAKER_04]: Oh, it was a raving review. I think I ran out of space writing and just smiley faces and all that stuff.

[00:07:37] [SPEAKER_04]: And the rest is history.

[00:07:39] [SPEAKER_05]: I never thought he would be the owner one day.

[00:07:42] [SPEAKER_04]: Yeah, for sure.

[00:07:43] [SPEAKER_04]: No, I've always had a passion and like, oh, I want to own my own business.

[00:07:48] [SPEAKER_04]: I didn't know what that was.

[00:07:49] [SPEAKER_04]: But once Rachel and I started dating and saw her passion for the business, I was like, I'm investing in Rachel.

[00:07:57] [SPEAKER_04]: You know, this is a great opportunity.

[00:08:00] [SPEAKER_04]: And I have a finance background, banking background, which only lends its hand really in the back, the kind of the back end side of the business.

[00:08:10] [SPEAKER_04]: So that's where I like to do that kind of stuff and Rachel's so great with the front end of the business.

[00:08:15] [SPEAKER_04]: So we've made a pretty good go of it.

[00:08:18] [SPEAKER_01]: So you own and operate it together?

[00:08:21] [SPEAKER_01]: What's it like on those days when you're working together all day and then you go home and on the good days and bad days?

[00:08:29] [SPEAKER_01]: What's it like?

[00:08:30] [SPEAKER_01]: Are there challenges being around each other all the time or?

[00:08:34] [SPEAKER_05]: Actually, I was a bit nervous when he decided to, you know, go all in and decide that he was also going to work in because I was like, oh no, you know, like we'll be spending so much time together.

[00:08:46] [SPEAKER_05]: And what's it, you know, we'll have different ideas about stuff.

[00:08:49] [SPEAKER_05]: It actually is working out really great.

[00:08:54] [SPEAKER_05]: So, you know, back in the day when he was working full time corporate job and I was working managing full time, we wouldn't see each other hardly at all.

[00:09:04] [SPEAKER_05]: So this way, at least we get to see each other.

[00:09:07] [SPEAKER_05]: And yeah, it's nice to have, you know, someone who always has your back there too.

[00:09:11] [SPEAKER_03]: You mentioned a little bit of like, hey, my background is finance. I've worked behind the scenes.

[00:09:17] [SPEAKER_03]: Like talk to us a little bit more about like how you guys divide up who does what and like how you structure that and the flexibility within that as well.

[00:09:26] [SPEAKER_04]: Well, you know, if I mean technically we're 50-50 but Rachel's the boss.

[00:09:31] [SPEAKER_04]: Rachel is the Zien Zuleger. She is Professor Zien.

[00:09:35] [SPEAKER_03]: I mean, I sort of sense that.

[00:09:37] [SPEAKER_03]: I'm glad you said it.

[00:09:39] [SPEAKER_04]: And I'm proud to say that too.

[00:09:41] [SPEAKER_04]: So she does get the last say in things but we just, I guess our communication so well that, you know, anything that has to do with like a spreadsheet or payroll or taxes or anything like that.

[00:09:55] [SPEAKER_04]: E-mails.

[00:09:56] [SPEAKER_04]: E-mails.

[00:09:57] [SPEAKER_04]: You know, all the administrative stuff has just been stuff that I enjoy doing and will do.

[00:10:04] [SPEAKER_04]: Whereas I have a phobia of photography and taking pictures and being in the front of the store sometimes where Rachel has the personality and has developed a staff where they're crushing it out front.

[00:10:18] [SPEAKER_04]: Yeah.

[00:10:18] [SPEAKER_04]: And I'm just making sure everything's tidy in the back end of the business.

[00:10:21] [SPEAKER_04]: So it's never been really a conflict for us as to who does what.

[00:10:26] [SPEAKER_04]: It's been pretty well defined from the get go just based on our backgrounds and what we like to do.

[00:10:31] [SPEAKER_03]: So it's just like, you know, you just sit down and be like divide out tasks.

[00:10:33] [SPEAKER_03]: It's just sort of naturally where you guys are.

[00:10:36] [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, that's great.

[00:10:37] [SPEAKER_01]: You know, Rachel, for those who have never visited old time photos, which is what I'm always going to call it.

[00:10:42] [SPEAKER_01]: I apologize for that.

[00:10:43] [SPEAKER_01]: That's what it is to me, right?

[00:10:46] [SPEAKER_01]: And I can't imagine any Minnesotan who's not been there.

[00:10:49] [SPEAKER_01]: But for those who haven't, where are you located within Mall of America?

[00:10:52] [SPEAKER_01]: What is it?

[00:10:53] [SPEAKER_01]: And I know you've expanded some designs and stuff.

[00:10:56] [SPEAKER_01]: Tell us about that.

[00:10:57] [SPEAKER_05]: Yeah.

[00:10:57] [SPEAKER_05]: Okay.

[00:10:57] [SPEAKER_05]: So it's three seven four north side of the mall.

[00:11:00] [SPEAKER_05]: So it's near the North food court.

[00:11:03] [SPEAKER_05]: It's near the Moose Mountain Adventure Golf.

[00:11:06] [SPEAKER_05]: And it's, it's a great place to, to spend a little bit of time.

[00:11:10] [SPEAKER_05]: We have costumes that you get dressed up in nine different styles that you can get dressed up in, you know, from Victorian Civil War, pirates, Renaissance, roaring twenties, western, Viking,

[00:11:27] [SPEAKER_05]: you can do Vikings too.

[00:11:29] [SPEAKER_01]: Not Minnesota Vikings.

[00:11:31] [SPEAKER_01]: We're talking authentic Vikings, right?

[00:11:34] [SPEAKER_05]: Maybe not authentic.

[00:11:35] [SPEAKER_05]: With the Hollywood Twist.

[00:11:36] [SPEAKER_04]: Yeah, you know, the horns, the horns on the helmet weren't.

[00:11:39] [SPEAKER_04]: But not purple and gold.

[00:11:40] [SPEAKER_04]: Not purple and gold.

[00:11:41] [SPEAKER_05]: No, fur and helmets.

[00:11:43] [SPEAKER_05]: Yeah.

[00:11:44] [SPEAKER_05]: So we get you dressed up, take a bunch of different photos.

[00:11:48] [SPEAKER_05]: And then you get to view the photos, choose what you want.

[00:11:52] [SPEAKER_05]: It's like the perfect way to, you know, be entertained, have fun and then also get that great souvenir or great photo.

[00:12:03] [SPEAKER_05]: It's kind of in this day and age we're not, people aren't doing a lot of like family photos or professional photos.

[00:12:10] [SPEAKER_05]: So to have, you know, to still be around and still be relevant is, is great.

[00:12:16] [SPEAKER_05]: And I it's, it's all about the experience of like getting dressed up, getting into costume.

[00:12:20] [SPEAKER_05]: You don't have to plan your outfits or make someone sit through a tedious, you know, shoot.

[00:12:26] [SPEAKER_05]: It's usually like a real fun shoot.

[00:12:28] [SPEAKER_01]: And what you're doing is you're helping families or friends create memories and capture a moment in time.

[00:12:36] [SPEAKER_01]: Something that they'll be able to tell that story about forever, right?

[00:12:41] [SPEAKER_01]: They go home and they go to their parents' house.

[00:12:44] [SPEAKER_01]: Maybe they were kids when they took a family photo at old time photos.

[00:12:47] [SPEAKER_01]: And they can still laugh about it and talk about how one of them was cranky that day.

[00:12:52] [SPEAKER_01]: And how the cause, I didn't want that costume or whatever, right?

[00:12:56] [SPEAKER_01]: So you're really creating moments for family.

[00:12:59] [SPEAKER_05]: Yeah. And those families come back and do recreation photos 20 years later.

[00:13:04] [SPEAKER_05]: Like, I've been around long enough that I can be like, oh yeah, that's when we were down in, you know, Camp Snoopy.

[00:13:10] [SPEAKER_05]: And like, I may have taken this photo for you back then.

[00:13:13] [SPEAKER_05]: So let's update it now.

[00:13:16] [SPEAKER_05]: But yeah, that's kind of where my first introduction was too.

[00:13:19] [SPEAKER_05]: I grew up seeing this photo on the wall of these cowboys and I was always like, what is this?

[00:13:25] [SPEAKER_05]: And it was my dad and his brothers in the 70s got an old time photo taken.

[00:13:30] [SPEAKER_05]: And I was always fascinated by it.

[00:13:32] [SPEAKER_05]: And I was just like, you know, I've always loved costumes and everything like that.

[00:13:37] [SPEAKER_05]: So yeah, that's how I kind of like first became like, oh my gosh, that's so cool.

[00:13:41] [SPEAKER_05]: Like, how can I do that?

[00:13:44] [SPEAKER_03]: Have you recreated your freshman photo that you told the story of?

[00:13:50] [SPEAKER_03]: Like, have you guys got back together in their life?

[00:13:52] [SPEAKER_05]: No, I haven't.

[00:13:53] [SPEAKER_05]: I have separately those people have come back in but we would take a photo after I started working at old times.

[00:14:00] [SPEAKER_05]: We would take roommate photos every year and like make Christmas cards and send them to our families.

[00:14:06] [SPEAKER_05]: And then we'd like, we would do it right before we would like have a party at our apartment

[00:14:09] [SPEAKER_05]: and we'd hang them up on the wall.

[00:14:11] [SPEAKER_05]: And ironically now one of my roommates is actually our manager there.

[00:14:17] [SPEAKER_05]: So, so yeah, it really came full circle.

[00:14:19] [SPEAKER_05]: Another theater guy that just like found a home here.

[00:14:23] [SPEAKER_03]: You mentioned those different themes that you could dress up.

[00:14:27] [SPEAKER_03]: What's the most popular one?

[00:14:28] [SPEAKER_05]: Ooh, it's Western in 1920s.

[00:14:32] [SPEAKER_03]: Does it sort of go over time?

[00:14:34] [SPEAKER_03]: Like you've been there a while, like was there a period where flappers was really popular and then it was Western and then Vikings or?

[00:14:41] [SPEAKER_05]: Western in 1920s always, always win because people like the money and the bar scene and then you know you can have guns and booze and stuff like that.

[00:14:51] [SPEAKER_05]: But we've seen a recent surge in like the Civil War era which not necessarily like Civil War style like but the big hoop dresses.

[00:15:01] [SPEAKER_05]: There's been a surge of like ladies wanting to wear those dresses like just in the past couple years that it's like we're doing a lot of that.

[00:15:09] [SPEAKER_05]: So cool.

[00:15:10] [SPEAKER_05]: I mean it's very different from what we wear today.

[00:15:12] [SPEAKER_05]: So I understand that.

[00:15:13] [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, I love it.

[00:15:14] [SPEAKER_01]: I have a question for Grant actually that I'd love for you to share.

[00:15:19] [SPEAKER_01]: We have a small business here with us right with Rachel and Lando and their entrepreneurs and when people think of Mall of America oftentimes they think of chain stores and big stores.

[00:15:30] [SPEAKER_01]: We actually have a really we have a mix and we have other small businesses.

[00:15:33] [SPEAKER_01]: Can you talk really briefly about what the importance of having that type of a mix is?

[00:15:37] [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, I mean I think people think of Mall of America in the size and they like Dan said they always think about the big stores.

[00:15:44] [SPEAKER_03]: But in reality we know that our guests wants to shop local.

[00:15:50] [SPEAKER_03]: There is a lot of people that want to support small businesses and from the marketing standpoint like we want to promote those small businesses.

[00:15:58] [SPEAKER_03]: So we work a lot with making sure that we are getting what those businesses are to the community, getting them connected right.

[00:16:07] [SPEAKER_03]: There's lots of different networks of businesses and tenants here that do promotions together and work together and a lot of times we're facilitating those conversations but there's definitely a rise in our sort of our guest sentiment of them being more aware of where they're shopping right.

[00:16:23] [SPEAKER_03]: And that's factoring into their decisions and we want to help communicate those things as we go forward too.

[00:16:30] [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, I know our marketing team works hard they love to highlight entrepreneurs and small locally owned businesses like yours which is one of the reasons we're visiting today.

[00:16:40] [SPEAKER_01]: I mean we love you've been amazing tenants and partners with them all for years now.

[00:16:46] [SPEAKER_01]: But you go beyond old time photos.

[00:16:48] [SPEAKER_01]: You also do something during the holiday season.

[00:16:50] [SPEAKER_01]: I don't remember what it's called exactly.

[00:16:53] [SPEAKER_04]: What is that again?

[00:16:54] [SPEAKER_04]: I believe you're referring to the Santa experience.

[00:16:57] [SPEAKER_04]: That's it.

[00:16:58] [SPEAKER_04]: Remember tell us about that please.

[00:17:00] [SPEAKER_04]: Rachel do you want to start or should I go for it?

[00:17:03] [SPEAKER_04]: Well the Santa experience obviously a seasonal business operating in November and December where we offer unique private visits with Santa Claus.

[00:17:13] [SPEAKER_04]: So you know people really appreciate the appointments people appreciate not waiting in line anymore.

[00:17:19] [SPEAKER_04]: You know a lot of people remember back in the day where it'd be hours long wait and actually that was the one of the reasons and kind of the birth behind the Santa experience back in 2007 was the mall would open Santa would open and then there was a six hour line on Saturday that basically took up the whole day and

[00:17:39] [SPEAKER_04]: it's like well something's got to give and appointments now have become so important and almost kind of mainstay with like other businesses like oh I'm going to make an appointment for this.

[00:17:55] [SPEAKER_04]: I'm going to make an appointment for Santa and people are making more appointments for things and I like to show up and not have that wait time.

[00:18:00] [SPEAKER_04]: And so that's what we're offering.

[00:18:02] [SPEAKER_04]: We're offering not only just Santa visits but unique in the sense that we have a multi cultural Santa base.

[00:18:10] [SPEAKER_04]: Yes, talk about that.

[00:18:11] [SPEAKER_04]: Yeah we have right now we had five Santas.

[00:18:15] [SPEAKER_04]: We've got two two black Santas one Asian Santa.

[00:18:20] [SPEAKER_04]: We've got a couple white Santas one of them speak in Spanish.

[00:18:24] [SPEAKER_04]: So we know we in just interacting with our guests who come back here after year after year aren't shy to give the feedback of you know what works what doesn't work what can you do and that's that's really been the driving factor and in 2016 when Rachel and I were fortunate enough to open up a second space due to popularity.

[00:18:46] [SPEAKER_04]: Yeah that's what we wanted to focus on was like let's let's hire a Santa of color and let's see what happens and I will I remember that.

[00:18:58] [SPEAKER_01]: So do we very vividly right and Santillari right Santillari and I remember I had a friend who happens to be a white woman married to an African American gentleman they have a child

[00:19:15] [SPEAKER_01]: and she was so grateful and she said thank you and thanking me I had nothing to do with it right but I think you heard this from many guests as well is thank you for meeting us where our families are.

[00:19:28] [SPEAKER_01]: My kids can relate to what you're offering us right.

[00:19:32] [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, tell us about a family story how they how this impacts them Rachel when they come and visit.

[00:19:36] [SPEAKER_05]: Oh well yeah I've been fortunate enough to be in the room when kind of the magic is happening there with Santillari and definitely that first year which we didn't know you know it was our first year of kind of expansion we had always just had one Santa before.

[00:19:52] [SPEAKER_05]: We saw the families come in and especially once the word got out you know nationally internationally like we had a lot of interest there for Santillari but just a grandmother sorry if I get choked up but there was a grandmother in with her grandkids

[00:20:11] [SPEAKER_05]: and her kids and she's just weeping and she's hugging Santillari and she's like I never had this opportunity I've never had this and for us it's the it's that those kids are not going to know any different they'll have always seen you know a Santa that looks like them so that's the best part for us is that

[00:20:33] [SPEAKER_05]: like you know it was so emotional for this this grandmother and these parents who never had this opportunity but the kids are now just not going to know that it you know wasn't a thing before you know so that's that's that's just been really rewarding really great to see

[00:20:49] [SPEAKER_01]: and the one thing you've done with the several different Santas that you offer is that you are careful least in my perspective to work with Santas who are compassionate and caring and really believe in connecting with people right these are good people that's the sense I get right

[00:21:09] [SPEAKER_04]: outside of their you know playing Santa Claus that's what we are when we're interviewing and meeting these folks we we pick up on that almost right away like why are why are you doing this that's one of the questions we ask like why are you doing this you know can't can't say that you know in the industry that

[00:21:31] [SPEAKER_04]: all Santas are doing it for the right reason right you know if money is the first thing that comes up in the conversation of meeting a Santa that's a red flag to us you know obviously our Santas are paid but we want them to be talking about you know bring in the magic of Christmas and you know being so open minded

[00:21:50] [SPEAKER_04]: and these these guys that we have now I admire for the fact that they they have just a huge heart and it translates so well in a Santa visit and they're doing it for the right reason and that's something we're proud of us as well is that we've and lucky lucky to be able to be picky about who we hire in our Santas

[00:22:17] [SPEAKER_04]: and we're proud of them and what they've done and you know are proud of ourselves for creating a platform now where hopefully you know Santas of color it's like a me it just a it just a regular thing you know it's no hopefully you know someday you know we're talking about it's not it's not a big deal

[00:22:34] [SPEAKER_03]: it's not an issue it's just a normal it's just a normal thing how do you just out of curiosity like how do you find Santas you're like oh I don't even know like is there like a database of Santa's like walk behind like the Santa's on finding Santa things generally

[00:22:48] [SPEAKER_05]: great question so yeah I mean there actually is there's groups in most of the states that are like Santa's get together and form a group and then you contact the administrator and they get the word out and then people can send in and apply

[00:23:06] [SPEAKER_05]: we I mean when we started it when we when we started our second location there weren't Santa's of color in the in the Minnesota group there are now which is amazing that's great so we actually nationally our Santa

[00:23:25] [SPEAKER_05]: Sid who had been at the Mall of America for you know 25 years he went to a national convention and he and he saw Santa Larry there and gave him our business card and said hey they're they're looking you know like contact them so that's how we found how we found

[00:23:42] [SPEAKER_01]: there's a national Santa convention but that yeah we were so fortunate to get connected with him that way too so your entrepreneurs small business owners in a really massive building what advice would you give to somebody who wants to start a business

[00:23:59] [SPEAKER_05]: who might be afraid of both artistic perspective and operational it is scary and it's it's going to be scary we were fortunate that I had managed the business for years before we took it over so I knew how it worked I knew the ups and downs of it

[00:24:22] [SPEAKER_05]: you know the difference between you know the big the big chains and stuff is that you're it you're the end and you survive by how well your business does so you know you have to you have to know that risk when you step into it and you have to put your

[00:24:41] [SPEAKER_05]: whole self into everything that you do so I mean that's really like you you have to know that you want to do this and you're passionate about it and that is the direction you want to go so that that awesome

[00:24:56] [SPEAKER_01]: in one last quick question then I have five quick questions after the one last quick question if that's alright one last quick question when do appointments open generally for Santa experience.

[00:25:08] [SPEAKER_04]: Sure well usually it's around Halloween time. Yeah but it's as early as August that people start asking when it's going to open up. Yeah that's why I'm asking. Yeah it's always it's right after Halloween where that calendar opens up and we get the mad rush of families going out there

[00:25:26] [SPEAKER_01]: and trying to secure their spot and the website really quickly for both Professor Z's and Santa experience. That's Professor Z's dot com perfect and then the Santa experience MN. Perfect so please visit them I'm going to end really quickly with five quick questions grant you're welcome to participate as well.

[00:25:43] [SPEAKER_01]: Don't think about your answers just right off the top they're going to be kind of holiday slash Santa themed if that's alright. The first one might be tougher for Grant but we'll go here start down here. Your favorite funniest photo moment you've experienced.

[00:25:57] [SPEAKER_05]: Oh gosh. There's so many for Santa there's so many costume costume photos. I seriously there's like a million. Yeah we do a costume contest or a theme contest and one of my favorites was they all dressed a very large family dressed as characters from the Wizard of Oz love it just OK sticks out in my mind.

[00:26:25] [SPEAKER_03]: My kids are in the silly photo phase so I can't like get a normal photo with them at all right now and it's just like that's where my.

[00:26:34] [SPEAKER_05]: There was the Jurassic Park group that were older kids they came in their dress like Jurassic Park and then one was in the T-Rex the blow up T-Rex thing and they were all running away from.

[00:26:44] [SPEAKER_01]: Santa was running away with them yeah. That's the story.

[00:26:47] [SPEAKER_01]: Favorite holiday song.

[00:26:49] [SPEAKER_05]: Oh gosh.

[00:26:51] [SPEAKER_05]: I love a good old white Christmas run run reindeer.

[00:26:55] [SPEAKER_01]: I'm Rudolph classic Rudolph holiday song you get sick of hearing every year.

[00:27:01] [SPEAKER_01]: Mariah Carey.

[00:27:03] [SPEAKER_03]: That's that's been played right.

[00:27:06] [SPEAKER_03]: I can't argue with that.

[00:27:08] [SPEAKER_03]: Every 10 minutes.

[00:27:11] [SPEAKER_04]: It may be the first time you hear it during the season you're like all right Christmas is here but then after that's true.

[00:27:17] [SPEAKER_01]: Favorite holiday treat or drink.

[00:27:20] [SPEAKER_05]: Oh God love the cookies and the fudge.

[00:27:24] [SPEAKER_04]: Yeah fudge Rachel's father makes like world class fudge.

[00:27:28] [SPEAKER_04]: Okay.

[00:27:31] [SPEAKER_03]: Christmas Ries with the little red hot.

[00:27:34] [SPEAKER_03]: Those are good yes exactly.

[00:27:36] [SPEAKER_01]: All right Rachel Lando Grant thank you all so much for joining the conversation today it's fun to kind of catch up and hear your stories about how you got started at Mall of America and how you continue to grow.

[00:27:48] [SPEAKER_01]: And for anyone who has not visited Professor Z's or old time photos or the Santa experience please do so because these are good folks they offer amazing things for our guests and our customers.

[00:28:01] [SPEAKER_01]: And so everyone who's listening and watching thank you so much for joining us for this episode of so much more and we look forward to seeing you again next week.

[00:28:09] [SPEAKER_00]: Thank you for tuning in to today's episode of so much more.

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[00:28:24] [SPEAKER_00]: Go to podcast.mallofamerica.com to leave a review ask a question or give us an idea for the show until next time.

[00:28:32] [SPEAKER_00]: Thanks for listening.

[00:28:33] [SPEAKER_00]: So much more is presented by the Bloomington Convention and Visitors Bureau the official destination marketing organization for the city of Bloomington Minnesota.

[00:28:42] [SPEAKER_00]: Before your next trip to Mall of America visit Bloomingtonmn.org for answers to all your travel questions deals and packages for hotel stays and so much more.