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Be the Kind of Influencer the World Needs in 2020: Seven Simple Changes You Can Make to Start Influencing Others on a Higher Level
By Karen McGregor
Our world is full of so-called "influencers" vying for our attention. You can't miss them: They create tons of noise and are always in the spotlight. From spiritually bankrupt politicians to super-wealthy tech geniuses to charismatic online personalities who use their influence to sway audiences to buy their favorite (sponsored) products, these larger-than-life figures may dominate our headlines and social media feeds—but they don't fill our yearning for authentic, heart-driven leadership.
Paying too much attention to this style of influencer leads us down a path of unhappiness. The good news is more and more people are realizing this. They are ready for a new kind of influencer, one who creates good for themselves and for everyone else. Best of all, anyone can become this type of influencer—including you.
You may not think of yourself this way, but the truth is you influence people all the time. Everyone does, whether they're an "official" leader or not. Here's the question: Is your influence driven by fear, or greed, or the desire to manipulate others, or the need for recognition—or by a deep longing to create a better world for everyone?
This is a hard question. We all want to think we have selfless or at least benevolent motives, but when we look within—with a sincere desire to know ourselves—we may find a different truth. Once we do, though, we can begin to influence others for the collective good.
I believe the ancient wisdom of the 4,000-year-old Tao Te Ching can help us identify and break the "power patterns" that undermine your influence, block you from getting the results you want, lead to dysfunctional relationships, and otherwise make you miserable. (For example, distorted power patterns mean that some of us are controllers, others are victims, still others withdrawers, etc.)
It's important to understand the three stages of influence that people move through in their lives. The first stage is self-centered; it's all about attempting to get something we want. The second stage happens when we seek out win-wins; our goal is for everyone involved in a decision or action to benefit. In the third stage of influence, we work toward a powerful outcome for all—for the planet, the community, and the evolution of humanity. (This is the Tao at work.)
The goal is to recognize where you are and take steps to start moving to a higher stage of influence. We have to do the inner work to do the outer work. The beginning of a new year is a powerful time to start this journey.
A few tips to help you get started:
Replace old, habitual, fear-based wording with a new language. Words are powerful: They can lift our spirits, or they can drag us down in an instant—and others with us. When your mind spins its story about what's wrong with your world over what's right, notice the words you say and find better words to use in their place. For example, instead of using the word "busy" to describe your life, say that it is "wonderfully full." Instead of saying, "I'm tired," say, "I'm going to have a nap, and when I wake up, I'll feel refreshed, energized, and ready to work or play."
When you feel angry or annoyed, focus on gratitude. This can help to supplant old power patterns you've relied on for years and years. If you are angry with someone or arguing endlessly, remove yourself and ask, What is the gift in this moment? Without blaming or shaming anyone, feel into your heart and ask, What am I grateful for? Try to reframe challenging circumstances as opportunities and practice appreciating them. This is a form of gratitude: to be able to see the good that is present in every situation.
Here's an example: There has been loud construction behind her home every morning for the past year. Three neighbors moved away because of the noise. But I was able to transform the noise into my morning alarm. When I hear it now, I feel grateful for starting a new day, and I feel excitement and appreciation for waking up in a comfortable bed without having to set an alarm.
Stop begging and pleading and calling it prayer. Asking, bargaining, and engaging in transactions lead to a one-sided relationship with the Divine. To better understand the power of prayer, I journeyed to the Poor Clares Monastery in Duncan, British Columbia. The nuns there lived a solitary life of contemplative prayer. They taught me that prayer isn't what most of us think it is.
The nuns said that prayer is many things. It can be a meditative walk in nature, a feeling of deep gratitude or joy from being in the presence of a loved one, or simply saying a phrase like "thank you." It can be saying one of many names for God. All these ways to pray have one thing in common: to illuminate a relationship with the Divine.
Start paying attention to your need to be "right." This very common "ego need" diminishes your power and weakens your ability to influence. It also takes the life out of creativity and destroys new solutions to old problems before they see the light of day. The key to stopping this behavior is to recognize where it comes from. Ask yourself: When did I first take on the belief that I am not okay? Or that there was something wrong or bad about me?
One of my spiritual mentors, Loree Cowling, helped me with one statement and two simple questions. They were: When building connections with another person, have an awareness of your individual agenda. Do you want to be altered by the interaction? Or do you want to alter the other person? Her questions invited me to look at how often I want to be right so that the other person would change, rather than being open to being changed myself.
Resist the urge to label everything. We use words to label people, events, and experiences as good or bad. As soon as we label something, our mind creates the opposite. If we label someone as a rational person, we will judge others to be irrational. If we label someone as smart, we will find others to judge as stupid. Catch yourself labeling, which serves only to separate "us" from "them" and choose to stop. As we release the language of duality and refuse to describe people according to our preferences, we relax and surrender into acceptance without trying to change them or defend ourselves.
Create "environmental stillness." A messy space at home contributes to a disorganized and chaotic mind. But if we can take small steps toward establishing stillness on the outside of us, we can experience more internal peace, wellness, and harmony within. Observe each room you use every day and notice what creates unsettling thoughts. Does your office lack a system for filing bills or random pieces of information? Do your bedroom clothes and accessories not have a "home"? Take inventory, commit to doing something about it, and set a date for when it will be done. The entire house can be completed in one month.
When you encounter a challenging person, try thinking of them as a soul mate. Soul mates are actually not romantic partners but people destined to help you grow by presenting you with challenging personality traits and actions you don't like. They challenge you to look beyond your preferences and surrender to what is. They invite you to accept the Law of the Impersonal while at the same time, saying "yes" to the opportunity to become a more kind, compassionate, and loving human being. This mind shift may defuse anger or defensiveness and help you change the dynamic with "difficult" people who cross your path.
You really can change the world for the better when you set a resolution around realizing the true power of your influence. But becoming an influencer begins as an inside job. Once you do the inner work, you can start influencing those around you in a positive way, and the ripples you create will impact the whole world.
# # #
About Karen McGregor:
Karen McGregor is a leadership and influence expert, international keynote speaker, and the best-selling author of several books, with her most recent, Awakened Influence, debuting in June 2020. As a speaker sharing the stage with Tony Robbins, John Gray, Deepak Chopra, and others, Karen knows how to support leaders to become influential modern-day mystics in the boardroom, in their communities, and on the global stage...all while taking the necessary action to produce sustainable change.
Karen built her own multiple-six-figure company from the ground up as a single mom; through her own challenging journey and struggles with her Type-A personality, Karen shares how to access deep inner wisdom and harmony (in an often chaotic, demanding, and ever-changing environment) while getting extraordinary results professionally and personally. She has presented to thousands of people in a variety of industries and is respected as a speaker who motivates and inspires audiences to take action.
For more information, please visit www.karenmcgregor.com.
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12/23/2019
Melissa Martin
Self-Syndicated Columnist
Wheelersburg, Ohio 45694
melissamartincounselor@live.com
740.370.8977
Dear Editor:
Humor column submission for print or digital. No cost. 550 word count.
Scary after Christmas diets
FYI: Please do not try the following fad diets as they can be hazardous to your ho-ho-ho health. However, laughing along with my attempt at humor may burn a few calories.
If a certain diet worked, everybody everywhere would know about it. Food fads travel around the planet and back. Weight loss scams come and go. You lose money and motivation, but not pounds. Or if you initially lose a few pounds, you gain it back and more. Greedy companies prey on people with phony promises, bogus beliefs, false and faulty research. They recruit fanatic followers. Where’s the science, folks? The fitness industry needs to divorce the fad diet business. We have to be aware of health hype and question dieting madness.
The following funky diets are a taste of my own amusing rederick. So, don’t try them at home.
Air Diet. You are guaranteed to lose weight. And eventually your life.
Snow Diet. You stay hydrated but hungry. Be on the lookout for yellowish reindeer pee in the white snow.
Leftover Wrapping Paper Diet. Low in calories. Eating ribbon and bows are not allowed.
Dead Christmas Tree Diet. You eat your used tree instead of abandoning it on the curb for garbage pick-up. High in fiber so have extra toilet tissue around.
Walnut Soup Diet. Be on alert for angry squirrels.
Island Diet. You munch on tropical plants and slurp banana juice. My cause excessive belching.
The West Coast Sand Diet. You lay on the beach and drink Marquita’s. I wouldn’t advise it—too harsh on the liver. And too salty.
The East Coast Rock Diet. You throw rocks into the ocean and eat only what you hit.
The North American Wings Diet. You only eat animals that fly. The exception is a flying squirrel. No products from the earth’s soil allowed.
The Metabolism Mania Diet. You wrap up in a tarp and jog for forty days while sucking on ginseng root. Caution is advised on windy days. Naked joggers may be arrested for indecent exposure.
The Bacon, Bacon, and More Bacon Diet. Yes, all you consume is bacon. A bunch of bacon for breakfast. A bag of bacon for lunch. A box of bacon for dinner. It’s a bacon bonanza! Prepare to feel bamboozled and bummed.
“Diet scams rank No. 1 among health care frauds reported to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), with on-the-make marketers deploying a variety of tricks to get people to purchase their wares. Some create websites that look like those of legitimate magazines and news organizations and fill them with phony articles claiming that celebrities have achieved amazing results from their products. The FTC recently obtained a $500,000 settlement from affiliate marketers in Florida who the agency said sent emails from hacked accounts to trick potential customers into thinking a friend or family member was urging them to try some weight-loss miracle pill,” according to a 2018 article on the AARP website.
“If diets worked, we'd all be thin by now. Instead, we have enlisted hundreds of millions of people into a war we can't win,” writes Neuroscientist Sandra Aamodt in her 2016 book, Why Diets Make Us Fat: The Unintended Consequences of Our Obsession With Weight Loss.
How interesting—the word ‘die’ is found in the word ‘diet.’ Step away from fad-sad-rad-bad diets.
Melissa Martin, Ph.D., is an author, columnist, educator, and therapist. She lives in Ohio. Contact her at melissamcolumnist@gmail.com.
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*For a review copy of The WOW Factor Workplace or an interview with Deb Boelkes, please contact Dottie DeHart, DeHart & Company Public Relations, at (828) 325-4966 or simply reply to this email.
When Good Help Is Hard to Find, WOW Cultures Win.
This Year-End Review Can Tell You Where YOURS Stands.
It's time to take stock of the old year and prepare for the new one. Are you creating what Deb Boelkes calls a WOW factor culture? If not, watch out: You're at risk of losing your best people.
Jacksonville, FL (December 2019)—Workplace culture matters. A great one produces happy, engaged employees who give their best efforts, challenge themselves to grow, and consistently meet goals and delight customers. A toxic one creates miserable, unmotivated clock-watchers and job-board checkers. In our booming economy, with its incredibly tight labor market, making sure your culture is closer to the first kind should be job one, says Deb Boelkes.
"In a strong economy, people have their pick of good jobs," says Boelkes, author of The WOW Factor Workplace: How to Create a Best Place to Work Culture (Business World Rising, December 2019, ISBN: 978-1-734-07610-3, $19.95). "If your culture is one of disengagement and toxicity, your most talented workers will be looking to leave. You'll be left with mediocre and low performers who have little incentive to do more than the bare minimum."
The bad news is that leaders often aren't aware their culture isn't what it should be. The good news is that they can change that. When leaders consistently motivate and inspire employees, fill them with purpose, challenge them, and make them feel safe and supported, what Boelkes calls the "WOW factor" manifests, grows, and permeates the entire culture.
Any type of company can create a "Best Place to Work" culture—also known as a WOW factor workplace—when leaders commit to being role models who train and inspire employees to create extraordinary products and deliver impeccable service at a great value (regardless of the price). This creates an unparalleled experience for both employees and customers, making both groups feel special, appreciated, and respected.
With the end of the year approaching, Boelkes says it's the perfect time to look back over 2019 and see how you did, culture-wise. Here's a checklist to help you get started.
In 2019, did you...
Hire slow and fire fast? (Or were a**holes and idiots allowed to thrive?) When your company is made up of talented, enthusiastic, hardworking people, employees won't want to leave. That's why you should hire only people who will fit in with the culture you're creating—and get rid of bullies and others who create a toxic culture. You may be reluctant to fire someone you yourself hired, but don't wait till they do maximum damage. Fire him or her now.
"I love the simple yet effective mantra of Todd Wilcox, chairman of Patriot Defense: 'No assholes, no idiots,'" says Boelkes. "These no-nonsense standards guarantee that everyone supports each other, has the right attitude, and wants to do what's best for the company."
Make adjustments and break things to make WOW happen? Adjustments are made all the time in WOW factor workplaces to make things even better than they already are. The adage "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" is NOT the way WOW factor workplaces become WOW factor workplaces. Sometimes you must break things intentionally to make continuous dramatic improvements that enable WOW to happen.
"You may have to move an employee from one position to another, for example," says Boelkes. "If someone isn't thriving, you owe it to him or her and to the company to make a change."
Encourage employees to interview elsewhere? Boelkes is a strong believer in a piece of advice she learned early in her career: Always be interviewing. While this applies to managers seeking the best possible job candidates, she says it also applies to employees. Everyone should interview elsewhere from time to time. This is one way to ensure neither the employee nor the business gets complacent. It's crucial for employees to know their value to the outside world.
"Likewise, organizations should be made aware if they are not keeping up with competitive marketplace opportunities," says Boelkes. "You certainly don't want to wait until your best team members have accepted another position elsewhere to finally offer them a raise or a promotion. By then, their hearts and minds are out the door."
Mentor in the moment? Mentoring should happen every single day, not just a few times a year during performance reviews. That's why Todd Wilcox recommends that leaders should have a smaller number of direct reports—more like five or six instead of fifteen or twenty. With a smaller group, leaders can talk to their mentees every single day.
"There are limited resources," says Wilcox. "You don't have enough time to talk to more than four or five or six people in a single day. If you're not talking to people every single day, then I would argue you're not effectively communicating, managing, mentoring, and developing them."
Hold people to high expectations? WOW factor workplaces have a well-documented set of behavioral standards and performance expectations. When someone isn't meeting these expectations, leaders will collaborate with him or her to develop an improvement plan that spells out SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Reasonable, and Time-bound). Each party is responsible for holding the other accountable to his or her end of the bargain. The underperformer must either get his or her act together or move on to something else.
"I have had to look dear friends in the eye and tell them they couldn't keep a job because of something they'd done," says Colleen Barrett, president emeritus and corporate secretary of Southwest Airlines. "Or I couldn't recommend them for another, and I still retained the friendship. You know, that's hard. But if you're just honest with people, I think the worst disservice you can do is NOT tell somebody when they are not making the grade. That's just ridiculous."
Refuse to tolerate excuses? Some people hold themselves back. They may think they aren't as good as others or as prepared as others to assume a leadership role. Maybe they haven't had as much education or they're from a low-income family or any of a whole variety of reasons. Don't let this happen. Tell employees they don't need to have had a model upbringing or have earned a PhD to live up to their potential. They can do their best work with what they have right now. No excuses. They'll be amazed at what they can achieve with their talent and wherewithal alone.
"We were dirt-poor," says Patriot Defense's Todd Wilcox. "My mother qualified for food stamps and aid for dependent children, but she was adamant she would not do that. She put us to work as kids. I started working when I was thirteen years old as a dishwasher, and I've been working my entire life ever since. It was self-determination. Take charge. Provide for yourself. Be accountable for the decisions you make. Those were things she taught us along the way."
Help employees connect to purpose and meaning? Britt Berrett, former president of Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas (named one of the "Top 50 Best Places to Work in the State of Texas"), explains the value of purpose in healthcare: "When I get exhausted, I'll go to the lobby. I'll watch the patients walk in and out. They are scared. They're going to be entering a new environment. We'll poke and prod them all night long. If I, as a leader, can understand my role in blessing their lives, if it can give me purpose and meaning, then I'll be much more purposeful in my efforts. That's invigorating."
Nudge people out of their comfort zones? Strong leaders look for the potential in employees and push them out of their comfort zones. They show employees that they have faith in them. They mentor them along the way. When you do this, employees are inspired to make the best use of their talents and push past their perceived limitations.
"When I was a senior systems engineer at AT&T Information Systems, I was supporting the top sales rep, Phil," says Boelkes. "My job was to make sure what Phil sold performed as expected. When he quit, his sales manager, Betty, offered me the job. When I said I wasn't cut out for sales, she replied, 'You obviously don't know why Phil was so successful. It's all because of you. You can still be you, only better, as a sales rep.' Betty's vision and persistent encouragement changed the trajectory of my career. Never again was I afraid to take on challenges."
Make them feel like they belong? Garry Ridge, CEO of WD-40, talks about fostering belonging. He says, "People feel like they belong here because we are doing things every day to help them be better. We help educate them. We help them deal with their stresses of life. Just last Friday, we had a lunch-and-learn. We had someone giving people a two-hour session on stress management. We had massage therapists in here during that time. We want people to be feeling good about themselves in many ways, not just emotionally but physically. I think what's great is in our last employee opinion survey—with a 99 percent positive response globally—the number-one measure was: 'At WD-40 Company, I'm treated with respect and dignity.'"
Regularly go beyond the expected to delight your customers? Donald Stamets, general manager for Solage, an Auberge resort in Calistoga, CA, allows employees to take the lead in this area with his Expected, Requested, and Delighted philosophy. He encourages staff to go above and beyond what the customer expects and try to delight them at every turn. For instance, if a guest is sick, employees can bring them tissues and chicken soup without asking a manager.
Boelkes says she experienced Stamets' "beyond the expected" philosophy when he was the general manager for an Omni resort and she selected them to host her dad's birthday. They were prepared with a tray of Bloody Marys (her dad's favorite drink), and the breakfast chef (Miss Donnie) led him into the kitchen and made him a special omelet. "It was as though we were the only guests in the place, and Miss Donnie had nothing more important to do than ensure my dad had the birthday celebration of a lifetime," she reflects.
"You can always improve if your culture isn't yet where you want it to be," concludes Boelkes. "The year 2020 is a fresh start. Commit to start moving in a positive direction and build a culture that will make you and everyone on your team feel lucky to work for such a great organization."
# # #
About the Author:
Deb Boelkes is not just a role model heartfelt leader; she's the ultimate authority on creating best places to work, with 25+ years in Fortune 150 high-tech firms, leading superstar business development and professional services teams. As an entrepreneur, she has accelerated advancement for women to senior leadership. Deb has delighted and inspired over 1,000 audiences across North America.
About the Book:
The WOW Factor Workplace: How to Create a Best Place to Work Culture (Business World Rising, December 2019, ISBN: 978-1-734-07610-3, $19.95) is available from major online booksellers.
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The New Year's Noise Diet:
Why You Should Cut the Empty "Brain Calories" in 2020
By Joe McCormack
If you're like most of us, you overindulged a bit too much in 2019. No, not on calories (well, maybe those too!), but on "noise." That's the name for the dizzying onslaught of information from work emails, app notifications, the 24/7 news cycle, social media updates, and other forms of screen time that leaves us unable to focus, listen, or do deep work.
A smidgen of noise now and again is okay. (We all have our guilty pleasures!) But consuming it mindlessly, all day long, is as bad as keeping a bag of chips, a monster-size soda, and a can of frosting at our desk and reaching for them every few minutes.
Too many empty brain calories won't make you fat but they will make you mentally anemic. Noise keeps you in a constant state of distraction. And like actual junk food, a high-noise digital diet is addictive, yet it never satisfies or nourishes you.
The real problem with giving into noise temptation isn't what you're doing; it's what you're not doing. You're tuning out what really matters. You're skimming the surface. When you're scrolling Facebook, for instance, you aren't learning a new language, refining that career-changing presentation, or engaging with your kids in a meaningful way.
The new year is the perfect time to put yourself on a noise diet. To help with your calorie count, let's take a look at what noise junk food looks like:
The irritating—yet addictive—parade of social media stock characters in your newsfeed. This band of noisemakers assaults your brain with their cries for attention. For instance:
Dumb@$$ shows on TV. You don't need to waste your precious attention span watching Jerry Springer, B-list celebrity lip-synch contests, or those morning talk shows. Substance-free television combined with the lure of a cozy couch can quickly turn into a lost day or evening.
The 24/7 news carousel-of-darkness. Sadly, most news is bad news, and during a controversial election year it can also be fodder for controversy, vitriol, and the loss of civility with friends, family, and neighbors. (Hint: You don't need to totally disengage, but it's good to be discerning about what you let in—and about how often you engage in debates with the people in your life.)
Your work email. Your boss just had to email you at 9:30 p.m....again. The moment you jump out of the bath to write back is the moment work email becomes yet another source of noise.
Are you feeling that noise hangover settle in? Don't worry, you can kick off the new year with a different kind of diet—one that cuts the empty "brain calories" of digital distraction and gives you what you're really craving: a more intentional life. Join my "Just Say No to Noise" Movement and tip the scales in the other direction. A few suggestions:
Try going a week without social media. (We promise, you'll survive.) A short detox from social media is a pretty painless way to unplug and reclaim a lot of lost time. When the week is over, you can see if you even want to go back to occasional scrolling.
Reduce temptation by "hiding" distracting devices from yourself. Okay, you probably can't hide your computer but you can shut the office door. As for cell phones and tablets, treat them like what they are: gateways to digital distraction (and it is a very slippery slope). Find an out-of-the-way place to charge and store your devices so you're not constantly reaching for them.
Break the idiot-box "background noise" habit. It's easy to mindlessly turn on the TV when you get home. Problem is, it's broadcasting nonstop noise into your work-free hours. Instead, plan a time to watch your favorite shows. Daily exposure to the depressing litany of pain and conflict we call "news" isn't making your life better. Neither is watching the "Fatty McButterpants" episode of King of Queens for the 50th time. (Okay, we admit that one is pretty funny.)
Set some work/life boundaries with the 7-to-7 rule. The company won't crash if you stop answering emails around the clock. After 7:00 p.m., put away your devices for the night. Don't pick them up again until 7:00 a.m. the next day.
Insist on phone-free family dinners... Yes, the kids might whine at first, but soon enough they'll get used to conversing with the out-of-touch "Boomers" and "Karens" at the table.
...and screen-free family fun days. For instance, make video games and TV completely off-limits every Wednesday and Friday. Yes, even if the kids swear they have no homework. Instead, do something fun or productive as a family. Play a board game. Go bowling or skating. Cook a great meal together. Volunteer at the local animal shelter. Heck...maybe even read.
Learn to save your "appetite" for the stuff that really matters... Your "appetite" is really your attention span, and it's your most precious resource. Filling up on headlines, emails, and social media means there's little left over for doing the deep and meaningful work that helps you reach big goals at work and in your personal life. Before you cozy into an hour of lurking on your ex's Facebook page, close the laptop and find something productive to do.
...and choose some meaningful goals to pursue. When you are able to sharpen and aim your focus, you can do some pretty impressive &%$#. Want to start a website? Get a better job? Learn to code? These "North Star" goals are the best incentive to rethink your relationship with noise and see how your life changes.
We don't realize that very often our addiction to information is the thing holding us back from getting a huge promotion, becoming valedictorian, or training for a marathon, but that's exactly what happens as time passes. Once you think of it this way, it's so much easier to put yourself on a noise diet. Make this the year you take back your time and use it to do something that matters.
# # #
About the Author:
Joseph McCormack is the author of NOISE: Living and Leading When Nobody Can Focus. He is passionate about helping people gain clarity when there is so much com¬peting for our attention. He is a success¬ful marketer, entrepreneur, and author. His first book, BRIEF: Make a Bigger Impact by Saying Less (Wiley, 2014), sets the standard for concise communication.
Joe is the founder and managing director of The BRIEF Lab, an organization dedicated to teaching professionals, military leaders, and entrepreneurs how to think and communicate clearly. His clients include Boeing, Harley-Davidson, Microsoft, Mastercard, DuPont, and select military units and government agencies. He publishes a weekly podcast called "Just Saying" that helps people master the elusive skills of focus and brevity.
To learn more, visit www.noisethebook.com.
About the Book:
NOISE: Living and Leading When Nobody Can Focus (Wiley, December 2019, ISBN: 978-1-119-55337-3, $25.00) is available at bookstores nationwide, from major online booksellers, and direct from the publisher by calling 800-225-5945. In Canada, call 800-567-4797. For more information, please visit the book's page on www.wiley.com.
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USDA Grants Mr. Claus Movement Permit in U.S.
(Washington, D.C., December 23, 2019) – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) today issued a movement permit to Mr. S. Nicholas Claus of the North Pole, a broker with Worldwide Gifts, Unlimited. The permit will allow reindeer to enter and exit the United States between the hours of 7 p.m. December 24, 2019 and 7 a.m. December 25, 2019, through or over any U.S. border port.
“With a growing world population, Mr. Claus will have his busiest Christmas yet. At USDA, we want to ensure we are not hindering Mr. Claus’ important work of spreading Christmas Cheer for all to hear,” said Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue. “Ease of access into the United States for Mr. Claus and his nine reindeer will ensure that children all over the country – including my own fourteen grandchildren – will wake up on Christmas morning with joy and filled with the spirit of the season. USDA issued this permit in advance and waived all applicable fees to help ensure a smooth trip on Christmas Eve night.”
In addition to the normal disease testing requirements, flying reindeer must undergo additional tests to ensure they will be able to safely handle significant changes in altitude and temperature throughout their journey, and are fit for landing on rooftops. On this year’s health certificate, the accredited veterinarian noted that one of the reindeer named Rudolph was positive for “red nose syndrome,” however, it was also explained that this is normal for him and not an animal health concern. The veterinarian also verified the reindeer have been vaccinated against any diseases they could encounter on their trip around the world.
At the request of Mr. and Mrs. Claus, APHIS also completed a courtesy welfare and humane treatment check of the reindeer facility. Mr. Claus and his staff passed with flying colors.
They will arrive pulling a wooden sleigh with jingling bells attached, filled with brightly wrapped gifts. Port personnel will clean and disinfect the runners and underside of the sleigh at the time of entry, and will also conduct a short visual inspection of the reindeer. Mr. Claus will also have his boots disinfected and will thoroughly wash his hands. These measures are intended to prevent the entry of any livestock diseases the team may encounter during deliveries to farms around the world prior to entering the United States.
“It would be a disaster for Worldwide Gifts, Unlimited, if my reindeer were to unintentionally bring in foot and mouth disease along with all the gifts,” explained Mr. Claus. “Why, something like that could put me out of business. That’s why we work all year to keep the reindeer healthy and take all possible precautions before and during our trip.”
Mr. Claus has also provided an advance list of what port personnel should expect upon their arrival. This includes a variety of food items, all of which come from approved locations and none of which pose a threat to U.S. animal or plant health.
**Events labeled Media Access indicate that an event is open to media. Events labeled
Media Availability indicate that an event is open to media and that a media Q&A is planned.**
Governor Gary R. Herbert's Schedule
December 23, 2019 - December 27, 2019
**The Governor’s schedule is subject to frequent change**
Monday, December 23
10:00 a.m. Attend Turkey and Grocery Giveaway
Location: Salt Lake City
Tuesday, December 24
No Public Events
Wednesday, December 25
Christmas Day
No Public Events
Thursday, December 26
No Public Events
Friday, December 27
No Public Events
Lt. Governor Spencer J. Cox's Schedule
December 23, 2019 - December 27, 2019
**The Lt. Governor’s schedule is subject to frequent change**
Monday, December 23
No Public Events
Tuesday, December 24
No Public Events
Wednesday, December 25
No Public Events
Thursday, December 26
No Public Events
Friday, December 27
No Public Events
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