Meet the Santas behind the beard.

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Find pictures from Leslie’s time with Santas here.

EPISODE NOTES:

In the second episode of our Professional Santa miniseries we meet the folks who portray Santa and learn what it takes to do the job. From meetups and conferences to spending thousands on uniform, these Santas take their jobs seriously. We talk to Shed and George, Black santas wth a mission to see representation in the niche, and meet Jerusalem’s only certified Santa Issa. Then, we shadow a Santa Donald on a gig to a school serving children with low vision.

SANTAS FEATURED IN THIS EPISODE:

ABOUT NICHE TO MEET YOU:

Niche to Meet You is an investigative storytelling podcast about the little-known niche interests. Our work has been featured on Nashville Public Radio, has been seen by millions through a recent viral instagram reel, and has been featured in the likes of The Guardian and the 1440 newsletters. It's like if Mr. Rogers Neighborhood and Revisionist History teamed up for a Netflix special. We use miniseries and individual interviews to introduce listeners to folks involved with Warhammer 40,000, Rubik’s cube enthusiasts and competitors, armored combat champions, wild turkey conservationists, and more.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE SHOW HERE.

SHOW CREDITS:

Creator/Reporter/host: Leslie Thompson (IG: @leslieeilerthompson)

Associate script producer: Chris Thiessen

Mastering by Kevin Morris

Show theme composed by Abigail Flowers with this holiday arrangement by Mike Hicks

Show artwork created by Rachel Hardacre

Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions and Jon McLaughlin