Lindsey Graham (0:00)

Want to get more from business movers? Subscribe to Wondery for early access to new episodes, ad free listening and exclusive content you can't find anywhere else. Join Wondery in the Wondery app or on Apple podcasts. It's spring 2005 at a playground in Loganville, Georgia, about 40 miles east of Atlanta. Shanda Bell watches from a park bench as her young son plays on the swing. She's a former middle school English teacher, and a few months ago Shanda and her mother, Carol Aebersolt, wrote a Christmas story they called the Elf on the Shelf. They sent the finished manuscript off to literary agents and soon signed with a small firm in New York. That agent then submitted the Elf on the Shelf to publishers. Now Shanda is anxiously waiting to hear whether any of them are interested. And today, as Shanda encourages her son to go down the slide by himself, her phone begins to ring. She pulls it out and checks the caller id. It's her agent. She takes a deep breath. Hi Jennifer. How's it going? Hi, Shanda. Well, we're finally out of 40 degree weather here in New York. Things are looking up. Gosh, we're already in the 70s down here. Can't wait for the humidity. But you know, weather aside, what's the word on our book? Well, you know that I love the Elf on the Shelf. Shanda sighs because she knows where this is going. Oh, bad news, huh? I'm afraid so. Is anyone interested? You said you were trying Random House in Scholastic. They all passed. I'm sorry, Shanda. Shanda stands up from the park bench and begins to pace. Well, what are they saying is wrong with it? Well, they really like the mythology you and Carol created, but some have wondered if an elf is the right fairy tale creature to focus on. But it's a Christmas Story. I know, I know. But one of them said that they felt the market is too saturated with elves right now. I don't know. Between Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter, I guess it's not a great time for elves. But our stories for families, for five and six year olds, it's totally different market. I'm just telling you what they said. You still like it though, right? Absolutely. I think you have something here. These people just have their heads in the sand. Well, what do we do now? I'm going to try some of the smaller publishing houses, but there's another option. Okay. It could be a big risk though. Financially. Shanda tenses she's not a wealthy woman, but she knows if she wants her project to succeed, she should at least hear her agent out. Well, okay, I'm listening. Well, what do you got? Shanda Bell and her mother Carol Aebersol couldn't keep track of all the rejections they received from publishers. Neither they nor their agent could convince anyone to publish their book. No one seemed to believe in the Elf on the Shelf like its creators did, and it would have been easy to give up on the project entirely. But Shanda wasn't ready for that. She was determined to find a place at Christmas for the Elf on the Shelf. She just needed to figure out another way Business Movers is sponsored by Grammarly. You only get one shot at a first impression, and if you're running a business that can mean all the difference between new client and no reply. Communicating exactly what you mean, clearly, intelligently and with purpose can also stop a single bad email from turning into 20 and then a meeting on top. When every word your team writes is clear, concise and on brand, everything gets better. And and teams that communicate better with Grammarly report 25% faster time to resolution for support tickets and 52% less time spent writing sales emails, all with enterprise grade privacy and security measures and seamless integration with the apps you use every day. Join over 70,000 teams and 30 million people who trust Grammarly to get results on the first try. Go to Grammarly.comenterprise to learn more Grammarly Enterprise Ready AI Apple Card is the perfect card for your holiday shopping. You can apply on your iPhone in minutes and start using it right away. You'll earn up to 3% daily cash back on every purchase, including products at Apple like a new iPhone 16 or Apple Watch Ultra. Start holiday shopping for your friends and family today with Apple Card subject to credit approval. Apple Card issued by Goldman Sachs Bank USA Salt Lake City Branch terms and more at applecard.com from Wondery I'm Lindsey Graham and this is business members for many families, the Elf on the Shelf has become a fixture of the Christmas holiday season. The book, about a cheery elf dressed in red, has captured the imaginations of millions of children across the world and with the accompanying elf doll, it has transformed the countdown to Christmas into a daily game of hide and seek. But this Christmas tradition is a recent one. The Elf on the Shelf was created in 2005 by two women from Georgia, Shanda Bell and her mother, Carol Aebersold. With the help of Shanda's twin sister Christa, they turned the book into a multi million dollar firm that is one of the most successful new family operated companies of the last 20 years. But the Elf on the Shelf almost didn't become the cultural phenomenon it is today. Shanda and Carol had no experience in writing children's stories when they first put pen to paper. And when they finished their manuscript, no major publisher wanted to take a chance on it. Many industries have gatekeepers. They help consumers know that basic standards have been met, that only the best ideas make it to market. But that does not mean these gatekeepers are always right. Shanda and Carol refused to take no for an answer. They were certain that given the opportunity, people would fall in love with their idea. So if no one else wanted to help them spread the story of the Elf on the Shelf, they would do it themselves. This is a special holiday episode of Business Movers on the Elf on the Shelf. An elf made success. It's the fall of 2004 on the outskirts of Atlanta, Georgia, six months before the Elf on the Shelf is submitted to publishers. Shanda Bell stands on the front steps of a small suburban home and rings the doorbell. She smiles as the door opens and her mother, Carol a. Bersol, wraps her up in a hug. Hey, honey. Hi Mom. How are you? Well, I woke up this morning, so I guess I can't complain. Chanda and Carol make their way through the house to the kitchen. Shanda sits down at the breakfast table while Carol heads over to the stove. Chamomile okay? Lovely. Thank you. Shanda watches as her mother rips open tea packets and places them in their cups. Carol lifts the kettle off the stove and pours hot water into the mugs. Chanda watches her close closely because her mom seems more quiet than usual. Hey, you okay, Mom? Well, yeah, I'm okay, honey. She hands Shanda her cup and joins her at the table. They sit in silence for a moment as they wait for their tea to brew. Carol has been dealing with some health issues recently and they've left her feeling a little down. Chanda forces a smile. Well, at least we're nearing the holidays. It'll be fun getting everyone together again. Yeah. Shanda's attempts to lift her mother's spirits aren't going well. She glances around the kitchen and her eyes land on a slightly disheveled looking elf doll sitting on a nearby shelf. Oh, you brought Frisbee out already? Yeah. Old Fizbee keeps me company at least. Does he still move around every night? He's not as active as he used to be, but you know who is? Are we the only ones who do that? Do what, honey? Have a Scout elf in the house every Christmas? Oh, I Never really thought about that. I. I assumed other people did something similar. I don't know. I can't remember anyone having their own elf like us when I was little. None of the kid's friends do now, either. Well, you were clearly very special children. But as Shanda looks at the elf, an idea starts to form in her mind. You know, other kids, they'd like to feel special, too, though, wouldn't they? What if this is crazy? What if we spread their tradition? What do you mean? You know, sell Fizbee dolls. Carol laughs. I'm being serious, Mom. I think people would love it. Their very own Scout elf. You know, it could be something we could do together. But honey elf dolls, they're everywhere. I mean, I hate to break it to you, even Fizbee was picked up at the store. Shanna knows her mother isn't wrong, so she wonders what would set their idea apart. Then it hits her. Well, how about a book? We can write a children's book about Fisbe. Like how the Grinch Stole Christmas. Shanda, I'm a music teacher, not a kid's writer. No one is until they start. We can do it together, mother and daughter. What do you say? Carol is quiet for a moment, and then a smile creeps across her face. Well, why not? I mean, it might be fun. Shanda smiles back. This is the happiest her mom has looked in weeks. Then she looks across the room at Fisby. What do you think of the idea, Fisbee? You ready to become famous? Shanda Bell and her mother, Carol Abrasolt, immediately began brainstorming ideas on how to turn their old family tradition into a new story for children. Shanda and Carol were convinced that given the chance, people all over America would fall in love with their old Scout elf. The time had come from Frisbee to leave home and conquer the world. The tradition of the Scout Elf dated back to Carol Aebersold's childhood. Born during the economic boom of post World War II America, Carroll grew up in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. It was a new town then, one of the secret cities built by the US Government for scientists and engineers working on its highly classified nuclear weapons program. It had been intended for the city to be a temporary settlement for the duration of the Manhattan Project. But after the war, Oak Ridge became more than just a government town. It grew into a thriving community, and families like Carol's made it home. Carol had a happy childhood there, and every Christmas, her parents decorated their house. In the run up to December 25, Carol's favorite ornament was a Small toy elf named Fisbe. Her parents told her that he kept watch over her on Santa's behalf from a regular spot high on the family's Christmas tree. Carol loved that doll. So when she came to have a family of her own decades later, she was eager to revive the tradition. By then, she had moved away from Oak Ridge and married an engineer named Bob Aebersold. The couple had three children together. The twin girls, Shanda and Krista, and then a son, Brandon. And in 1974, Carol introduced her three children to Fisbe. Shanda, Trista, and Brandon all adored it. And at every Christmas from then on, they, the increasingly tattered elf, kept watch over the Abrasold clan. But now Frisbee was no longer confined to his spot on the Christmas tree. Instead, the tradition evolved. Every night, Carol told her children that Frisbee was returning to the North Pole to report back to Santa. The next day, he would be back in the house, but in a different spot. And the Aebersol children spent many happy December mornings searching for the mischievous little elf. Years passed, and life moved on. Both Shanda and Krista went off to college and started careers. Shanda became a middle school English teacher, while Krista became a host for qvc, the home shopping television channel. Alongside their burgeoning careers, the sisters both got married and started families of their own. And of course, as soon as their kids were old enough, both Shanda and Krista introduced scout elves of their own to their family Christmas festivities. And for years, it seemed like this tradition would simply stay within the Ebersold family, passed down from generation to generation. But then, on a visit to her mother in 2004, Shanda suddenly had the idea of sharing this tradition with others. Quickly after Shanda and Carol started writing a book together, store shelves were already overflowing with Christmas stories. But Shanda still hoped theirs would stand out. Elves rarely took center stage, and ever since the creatures first became associated with Santa Claus in the 19th century, it had been jolly old Saint Nick that hogged all the attention. But with their book, Shanda and her mother hoped to bring the elves out of Santa's workshop and into the limelight. It took months of development and more than 150 drafts, but finally, Shanda and Carol had a version of the story they were happy with. The elf on the A Christmas Tradition was a simple tale written in rhyme. It told the story story of one family and their adoption of a scout elf from the North Pole, home of Santa Claus himself. Shanda and Carol sent their manuscript off to almost a dozen literary Agencies. They received only rejections. Until one agent at the Jennifer D. Kayer Agency in New York opened their letter on a whim and was immediately captivated by what she read. She saw the Elf on the Shelf's potential and agreed to help Shanda and Carol find a publisher. But that proved harder than any of them expected. Publisher after publisher turned the book down. And by the middle of 2005, Shanda Bell's dream of sharing her family's Christmas tradition with the world seemed on the verge of collapse. But Shanda refused to give up. She was still convinced that the Elf on the Shelf could be a hit. And with each passing day, with each additional rejection letter she received, Shanda only became more determined to defy the doubting game gatekeepers of the publishing world. With their agent's encouragement, Shanda and Carol decided to self publish the Elf on the Shelf. But in the mid-2000s, the modern self publishing industry was still in its infancy. The minimum print run the family could order was 5,000 copies, and even that would cost tens of thousands of dollars. Even before they factored in the costs of promotion and sales, Shanda and Carol quickly realized that this would not just be a book they were launching. They would need to create an entire company. So in 2005, the family founded Creatively Classic Activities and Books. The startup publishing company had to move quickly. Shanda and Carol wanted the Elf on the Shelf to be ready for the Christmas season of 2005. So the first thing they did was search for an illustrator to bring their book to life. Shanda and Carol didn't like the look of many modern picture books. Books. They thought the artwork in them was often computer generated and of poor quality. For their book, they wanted something more traditional, and they found it in the watercolors of local artist Coe Steinmark. Coe's illustrations brought a nostalgic feel to the Elf on the Shelf, as if it were something that had been rediscovered from decades earlier rather than a brand new story. But there had to be more to the Elf on the Shelf than just the book itself. The entire point was to have a physical elf hide around the house. So Shanda and the family decided to include an 8 inch elf doll with every copy of the book. Its design was inspired by fisbe and, like the illustrations, was deliberately nostalgic. But the costs of creating the doll, as well as the book and the company behind it, were growing rapidly. To raise funds, Shanda maxed out her credit cards while Carol dipped into her retirement savings. But even that was not enough. They needed more cash. And fortunately, at this point, Shanda's twin sister, Krista Pitts, decided she wanted to invest too. During her career at the retail TV channel qvc, Christa had tried to sell all sorts of products, and she was convinced that the Elf on the Shelf was a winner. She joined Creatively Classic Activities and Books as co CEO alongside Shanna. But having Krista on board wasn't just a boost to the project's finances. Christa's years of experience working at QVC meant that she knew more about sales and marketing than anyone else in the family. Her arrival brought a much needed dose of professionalism and expertise to the budding company's operations. With Krista's help, Shanda and Carol's homes were soon filling up with hundreds of boxes containing smiling elves and the lovingly created book that explained their backstory. After all their hard work and countless rejections, the Elf on the Shelf was ready. And now the time had come for Shanda, Carol and Krista to spread some festive cheer, try to make back all the money they'd spent Business Movers is sponsored by the Walker Webcast if you're looking to learn more about commercial real estate, entrepreneurship, leadership and the economy, where would you turn? Well, a good start might be the CEO of one of the largest commercial real estate, finance and advisory services firms in the nation. But how are you ever going to get on their calendar? Ah, you don't have to tune into the Walker Webcast, hosted by Willie Walker, CEO of Walker and Dunlap, an unparalleled leader in commercial real estate. Listen in on conversations with guests like A Rod economist, Dr. Peter Linneman, and Walker and Dunlap experts. Learn more@walkerdunlup.com podcast and be sure to follow Walker and Dunlap on all your favorite social media channels. 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Audible there's more to imagine when you listen, go to audible.com wonderypod and discover all the years best waiting for you. It's November 2014 in a small town in Georgia, several months after Shanda Bell and her mother finished their manuscript for the Elf on the Shelf. A minivan drives down the street and pulls up outside a modest two story home. Melissa, a middle aged mother, hops out and then opens the door for her kids. As Melissa balances grocery bags in her hands, the kids dart into the house. Hey, before you play games, wash up and get ready to set the table. Trying mightily to bring all the groceries in in one trip, Melissa slowly makes her way inside. She can't wait to put her feet up on the couch and relax. Melissa enters the kitchen and puts the bags down. She begins unloading the groceries. When her husband Greg enters the kitchen, he beelines for the fridge and grabs a soda. As he pops it open, he cocks his head toward his wife. So, how was this afternoon? Exhausting. Well, I'm happy to report that the gutters are clean and ready for Christmas lights after Thanksgiving. Oh God. Well, you're my hero. Help me put these away. I need to get started on dinner. Greg puts down his drink. But when he reaches inside the first bag, he doesn't pull out a loaf of bread or a carton of eggs. Instead, he pulls out a white box and frowns. It contains a book and an elf doll. What's this? The Elf on the shelf. Shh. Don't let the kids see that. Okay, but what is it? So before I picked up the kids, I stopped in by the mistletoe market. There was a booth selling these. Apparently it's a Christmas tradition at these people, the two Whitman who wrote the book. It's something they did when they were growing up. Basically it's this scout elf. A scout elf? Yeah, one of Santa's helpers. They hide around the house, keeping an eye on the kids and then report back to Santa if they're being naughty or nice. Every morning the elf is in a new spot and the kids. Kids have to go find it. The mother and daughter turned it into a whole thing with a children's book and a doll and I thought it sounded like fun. What sounds like fun? A book and a doll? Yeah, but there are rules too. One of them explained everything. The kids will adopt the elf and then they get to give it a name. And then every night we hide it and the next morning the kids go looking for it. Oh, and the kids can't touch it. They can't touch the doll because it'll lose its magic if they do. We already tell the kids that Santa is watching them. Now you want to put a spy in the house? I don't know. Livy might get creeped out. You saw her with the Easter bunny this year. I don't want to go through that again. Oh, Greg, come on, kids. Have fun at Halloween with ghosts and goblins. Yeah, but none of the Halloween decorations moved every morning. I think it'll be great. Once they name the scout elf and read the book, they'll have plenty of fun trying to find them in the morning. Mornings. It'll be a brand new Christmas tradition for us. Sounds like I have another job to do. At night, Melissa leans in and kisses her husband on the cheek. You sure do. As the 2005 holiday season approached, Shanda Bell, her mother Carol Abrasold, and her twin sister Krista Pitts didn't view the holiday season with the same excitement as in previous years. This Christmas would be a make or break moment for the entire family to start their company creatively. Classic Activities and Books Shanda had borrowed every cent she could, Carol had dipped into her savings, and Krista had invested funds from a recent house sale. They were all convinced that the Elf on the Shelf could succeed, but none of them yet knew if it would. To turn their manuscript into a real book, Shanda Bell and Carol Aebersold had been forced to go around the traditional gatekeepers of the public publishing industry. But having a physical book didn't mean stores or wholesalers would agree to stock it. To sell the 5,000 copies of the first print run of the Elf on the Shelf, the family would have to do it all themselves. Shanda's sister and co CEO Christa Pitts had some relevant experience that would help. She worked on the TV retail channel QVC for years, but this was new territory for others. They were teachers, not salespeople, and they would have to learn quickly. In September 2005, they officially launched the Elf on the Shelf at the local Museum of History in Marietta, just outside of Atlanta. They sold the book with its accompanying elf doll for $30 or around $50. Today. They invited everyone they knew to the launch and sold 500 copies in that first evening. It was a good start, but their friends and family could only buy the book one once. To sell the entire print run, Shanda, Christa, and Carol would have to get themselves out there. So throughout the fall of 2005, they traveled the region visiting Christmas themed shops, small bookstores, and trade shows. With boxes of the Elf on the shelf loaded into a minivan, they secured a stall at the Mistletoe market put on by the junior league of Cobb Marietta, as well as the 12 Days of Christmas festival held in Charlotte, North Carolina. These events allowed Shanda, Carol, and Krista not only to present their book, but explain the Scout Elf rules to hesitant parents in person. It was exhausting work, but by the end of the year, they'd done it sold all 5,000 copies of the Elf on the Shelf. So as 2006 began, Shanda, Carol, and Krista toasted to their success. But none of them wanted to stop now. The profits they had made on the first print run were invested back into the business. And now they had around nine months before the next Christmas sales period began all over again. They decided they would continue the direct consumer sales approach that had served them so well. But their success in 2005 was also enough to convince others to give the Elf on the shelf a chance. Eight local stores agreed to stock the book in 2006. Seeing the elf on the Shelf on an actual show shelf was a thrill for Shanda and the rest of the family. But the stores didn't just stock the book. Several chose to promote it with ads in their local newspapers. The fable of the Scout elves was spreading, and sales for Christmas 2006 far outpaced the previous year, and the more copies were sold, the more interest there was from retailers. In 2007, roughly 250 stores agreed to start carrying the Elf on the shelves. Combined with the ongoing direct to consumer marketing, revenues looked set to rise once again. But sales of the book were still mostly limited to Georgia and surrounding areas. Shanda, Carol, and Krista wanted to expand further, but that would take money they didn't have. Creatively classic activities and books was still a young and fragile business, and the risk of financial ruin haunted the three women. That's when what seemed seemed like a Christmas miracle happened. In December 2007, film and TV star Jennifer Garner was spotted by photographers as she walked down the streets in New York. The paparazzi didn't pay much attention to what Garner was holding in her hands, but when those photos made their way into the press, one family in Georgia certainly took notice. Shanda, Krista, and Carol had no idea how actress Jennifer Garrett Garner had gotten a hold of the Elf on the Shelf, but there it was in the photograph, clasped close to Jennifer's chest, the title clearly visible. The picture went viral on the Internet and changed everything. Suddenly, the Elf on the Shelf was the toy of the season. Sales skyrocketed. The rush was so great that the Elf on the Shelf website crashed, and PayPal even briefly suspended the company's account, apparently not believing believing that their sudden surge in revenues could be legitimate. The days of Shanda, Carol, and Krista selling the Elf on the Shelf out of the back of a minivan were coming to an end. Taking advantage of their sudden new fame, they struck a deal with the bookselling giant Barnes and Noble to carry their book in its 8,000 stores the following year. The Elf on the Shelf was about to conquer America. By the end of 2009, creative and classic Activities and Books had sold nearly a million million copies of the Elf on the Shelf and generated revenues of $7 million, the equivalent of 11 today. And the following year, that number jumped again by almost 50%. Shanda and the others were delighted, but they knew that the history of Christmas was littered with toys that were popular for a year or two before disappearing without a trace. They couldn't let the Elf on the Shelf end up as just another passing fad. The subtitle of the the book was A Christmas Tradition, after All. So they asked themselves how they could keep that tradition alive for years to come. Christa threw out an idea for an elf themed breakfast cereal, Carol suggested a TV show, and Shanda proposed a float at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Ultimately, though, they settled on a Christmas animated TV special. TV specials themselves were an American Christmas tradition. Charlie Brown, the Grinch, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. The most popular ones ran year after year, and the Elf on the Shelf team believed an adaption of their book would be the perfect addition to that pantheon of classics. And ever since the Elf on the Shelf became a runaway success, Shanda, Carol, and Christa had fielded phone calls from movie production companies eager to snap up the rights to the book. But when it came time to adapt the Elf on the Shelf for the screen, its creators didn't reach out to Hollywood. They hadn't abandoned their do it yourself roots, and they didn't trust an outsider to get their story right. So instead of a big, established studio, they partnered with Trick3D, a small local animation company that had helped them create the Elf on the shelves website. Throughout 2010, Shanda, Carol, and Krista worked with the team at Trick3D to craft the script and compose songs for their half hour holiday special entitled An Elf Story. The computer animated short told the tale of a scout elf named Chippy and his mission to help a young boy believe in Santa Claus. Just like the book it was based on, Shanda, Carol and Krista self funded the project to the tune of over a million dollars. But unlike the Elf on the Shelf, they didn't have to fight to get their TV special out to the public. In July 2011, they struck a broadcasting deal with CBS and An Elf Story premiered on the network that November. Around 4 million viewers tuned in. Reviews were mixed, with some thinking the show was simply a marketing gimmick, but at least it was an effective one that same year. In 2011, the Elf on the Shelf made its creators $16 million and reached the number two spot on Wall Street Journal's best sellers list. It had been only six years since Shanda, Carol and Cross Christa had defied the naysayers and struck out on their own. In those six years, they had created not just a Christmas book but a Christmas franchise. But with that popularity would come criticism. As the magic of the Elf on the Shelf continued to spread, so too would the number of its detractors. How weird does it feel to be called someone's fiance? The first time you hear it, you do a double take from there. Let's enjoy this moment turns into we're planning a fall wedding. That's where Zola comes in from. A venue and vendor discovery tool that matches you with your dream team. To save the dates, websites and an easy to use registry, Zola has everything you need to plan your wedding in one place. Start planning@zola.com that's z o l a.com it's better over here. 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She can't believe what she's just watched, and she needs to vent her feelings to someone. Hey, Shanda. What's up? Were you watching the news just now? No, I'm working. They were talking about us. About the book. An entire segment. Oh, that's great. No, they said our elves were creepy. Christa, this woman, I don't know who she was. Some professor says we're promoting a surveillance state. What does that even mean? Like we're a secret police or something. Oh, don't take it personally. Of course I take it personally. This is our lives. Yeah, but it comes with a territory, right? The more popular we become, the more likely we're going to get some people to find fault with us. Some stupid fault. Today it's the surveillance state, and tomorrow it'll be the commercialization of Christmas. You know, some folks just like to complain. Did they at least have someone on there arguing back? Yeah. And what did they say? They said that the book's just a bit of fun. Precisely. They have these segments to get people all riled up. What if everyone watching agreed with her? She was good. Oh, Shanna, how many books have we sold? Now you, me and mom have built something special. And we brought smiles to families all over the country. Who cares what some Scrooge on TV has to say? Come on. The last thing we need is for you to be down right as the Christmas season starts. No, I know. It's just. I mean, creepy. I don't think our elves are creepy. Do you? Of course not. And I bet you this woman hasn't even read the book. Some people just like to spoil the fun. Yeah, that's it. She's just a scrooge. Just a scrooge. And hey, we're about to have even more fun on Thanksgiving, aren't we? I mean, this person, Professor Somebody, probably has a PhD. But you know what she doesn't have? She doesn't have a balloon in the Macy's Day parade. Shanda Bell had never envisioned the Elf on the Shelf becoming a topic of such fierce debate. She and her family had simply wanted to spread their Christmas tradition to others. But she knew her twin sister, Krista Pitts, was right. In a way, the attacks were just another sign of success. And Shanda was determined not to let them get her down. Because she knew something her critics didn't. The Elf on the Shelf was about to get even bigger. On November 22, 2012, the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade kicked off the Christmas season in New York, just as it had almost every year since 1924. As the floats, balloons and marching bands strolled down Central park west, they were accompanied by a new addition to the Brigade of Familiar Characters. It had been less than a decade since Shanda Bell and her mother Carol Aebersault had been rejected by New York's publishers. But now a gigantic Scout Elf was floating above the streets of the city. The Elf on the Shelf had taken Manhattan. And it wasn't only New York that had fallen for the Scout Elf's charms. By Christmas 2012, the Elf on the Shelf was available in 10,000 stores across America. And the company behind it had branched out to produce elf themed activity books and a range of doll accessories. But these products all had one thing in common. They were Christmas toys. Shanda and Krista wanted creatively classic activities and books to keep growing. The question was how they could either double down on Christmas or they could look beyond the holiday season. The thought of more consistent year round revenues was an appealing one. So after their big Thanksgiving parade debut, they decided that they should try adding a little of their elf magic to other holidays as well. In 2013, Creatively Classic Activities and Books released a sequel to the original story. It was called the Elf on the A Birthday Tradition. This follow up book was about a Scout Elf who brings birthday fun to the homes of children. It included a birthday themed outfit to dress the family Scout Elf in, as well as new rules to follow in the lead up to the big day. Unfortunately, consumers did not respond to A Birthday tradition in the way Shanda and Krista had hoped. Sales were disappointing, and this time there would be no unexpected celebrity endorsement coming to the rescue. After a few years, a birthday tradition was quietly discontinued. In introducing a Christmas Elf to different holidays had not worked out. But that did not stop others from drawing inspiration from the Elf on the Shelf, creating similar holiday themed books and toys of their own. Soon, readers could celebrate Hanukkah with Mensch on a Bench or Halloween with the Switch Witch. Shanda and the family were amused by these homages. They took them as a compliment, a sign of just how culturally influential their original original book had become. And their experience with A Birthday Tradition meant that they were happy to let others have Hanukkah and Halloween and the rest of the calendar's special occasions. Instead, they decided they would return their focus to a single holiday and look for expansion opportunities within the world of Christmas. Throughout the rest of the 2010s they created more Christmas themed coloring books, accessories and downloadable apps and Games. In 2014 they launched a new line of stuffed animals they called Elf Pets. The first toy was a reindeer, but it wasn't long before that was joined by other animals less commonly associated with Christmas, like St. Bernard dogs and Arctic foxes. The success of these new lines led Shanda and Christa to make a conscious shift in strategy. They stopped seeing themselves as a publishing company and began identifying as an entertainment company instead. Instead, in 2018 they founded their own in house animation studio to create new Christmas films and TV shows. And two years after that, Shanda and Krista decided to reflect their strategic shift by renaming their business creatively. Classic Activities and Books became the Lumastella company. By the end of 2021, Lumastella had sold over 19 million original Scout Elves. The company had partnerships with with Netflix and Kellogg's and its growing range of new toys and books were sold in 26 countries around the globe. That success could all be traced back to one decision made by Shanda, Krista and their mother Carol to ignore their rejections, believe in their idea and do it for themselves. The family's determination, tenacity and willingness to take a financial risk had resulted in a multimillion dollar company. Not every product Lumistella has launched since the Elf on the Shelf has been a success and the critics haven't gone away either. But there is no denying that the Elf on the Shelf has reshaped the holiday season for people all over the world. A small family tradition has become a big business and the Scout Elf has found its place at the heart of Christmas. From Wondery, this is episode one of An Elf Made Success for Businessman. On the next episode, Neil Hoffman discusses how he was inspired by the Elf on the Shelf to create his own version, the Mensch on a Bench, and how its business model echoes the original. If you like business movers, you can unlock exclusive episodes found nowhere else on Wondery and access new episodes early and ad free. Join Wondery in the Wondery app or on Apple Podcasts. Prime members can listen ad free on Amazon Music. And before you go, tell us about yourself by filling out a survey@wondery.com survey survey if you'd like to learn more about the traditions and commercialization of Christmas, we recommend Christmas Past, the Fascinating Stories Behind Our Favorite Holidays Traditions by Brian Earle and the Battle for the Cultural History of America's Most Cherished Holiday by Stephen Nissenbaum A quick note about our dramatizations in most cases, we can't know everything that happened, but all our reenactments are based on historical research. Business Movers is hosted, edited and executive produced by me, Lindsey Graham for Airship Audio editing by Mohammed Shazid Sound design by Matthew Filler music by Lindsey Graham this episode is written and researched by Joe Garra. Executive producers are William Simpson for Airship, Narino Flaherty, Jenny Lauer Beckman, and Marshall Louie for Wondering this is a story that begins with a dying wish. One thing I would like you to do My mother's last request that my sister and I finish writing the memoir she'd started about her German childhood when her father designed a secret superweapon for Adolf Hitler. My grandfather, Robert Lesser, headed the Nazi project to build the world's first cruise missile, which terrorized millions and left a legacy that dogged my mother like a curse. She had some secrets. Mom had some secrets. I'm Suzanne Rico. Join my sister and me as we search for the truth behind our grandfather's work and for the first time, face the ghosts of our past. Jeez, who is he? Listen to the man who Calculated Death exclusively with Wondery Plus. Join Wondery plus in the Wondery app, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.