Michelle Smith
Michelle Smith believes it’s never too late to add a little more magic to your life. After years spent in marketing and advertising, a career shift prompted Smith to reinvent herself and create something entirely her own. Today, she’s a professional Christmas performer named Minty The Elf and the co-founder of The Sleigh Society, Inc., a nonprofit where she helps performers serve children, seniors and communities with compassion, professionalism and integrity.
What inspired you to become a professional Christmas performer?
It was never on my bingo card! My husband’s parents were the original Mr. and Mrs. Claus in our family. After they passed away, friends asked my husband to portray Santa at a birthday party, and our first appearance happened to fall on the first anniversary of his dad’s passing. Years later, we decided to build something of our own with The Sleigh Society. It was a chance to put our passion into giving back to kids and seniors.
How are you turning your passion into a mission to do more?
People often picture holiday performers taking photos and spreading cheer. That’s part of it, but sometimes we meet a child grieving a parent, a child who communicates differently or a senior living with dementia. We don’t want any performer to enter those situations unprepared or leave wondering, ‘Did I do or say the right thing?’ That’s why we created The Sleigh Society’s Compassionate Performer Workshop. We connect performers with top educators, industry leaders and healthcare specialists to help them respond with care and make families and seniors feel respected, included and safe.
What’s your best advice for aging well?
Give yourself grace. When you’re younger, you’re hustling and always out there doing your thing. Take a moment to slow down and cherish the time you have with friends and family. Those everyday moments you might not think much about when you’re younger become the ones you really want to hold on to.
