On the Fifth Day of Christmas… we present Scott Shellstrom!

Our speaker Scott Shellstrom has us jumping through Golden Rings! A Modern day Da Vinci, Scott inspires teams everywhere to rediscover their own ability for creativity and innovation. As a former advertising executive, Scott knows that creativity is more than an art, it’s a skill. His skills have placed him on some of New York City’s most prominent improv comedy stages, and his paintings on some of the most prestigious gallery walls. He knows how to perform, both as a television host on the Travel Channel, as well as the first white guy on Soul Train. 

As part of our 12 Days of Christmas Project, we asked Scott to share some of his favorites…

What is your favorite childhood Christmas memory?

SCOTT: Seeing Santa Claus in a neighbor’s house and rushing home to go to bed. Because Santa doesn’t come until you are asleep. We all know…”He knows when you are sleeping…”

What is your favorite Christmas food?

SCOTT: EGGNOG!

What is your favorite Christmas tradition?

SCOTT: On Christmas morning, my sisters and I would all dress up in the same Christmas-themed PJs. We drank eggnog and cookies, while dad took pictures of us at the top of the stairs (out of sight of the Christmas tree). Our parents would torture us until we could not take it anymore. Then we went running around the corner to see the tree with tons of gifts stuffed under and around.

What is your favorite Christmas song?

SCOTT: “Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire” sung by Nat King Cole

Have you been naughty or nice this year? 

SCOTT: Nice. /nīs/
pleasant; agreeable; satisfactory.
“I joined the awesome Team Michelle Joyce this year, Nice”

What is on your Christmas list this year?

SCOTT: Spending time with loved ones. I have enough stuff.

What is one way you give back during the holiday season?

SCOTT: Just yesterday, I dropped off three boxes of my most beloved art books to Goodwill. The group of workers each picked up a different book and started going through the pages. A tattooed older guy with a big toothless smile said, “We have three bookstores and these will go fast. Thanks.”. His head was buried deep in a large book about Degas. He was admiring the ballerina sketches.

What is your best piece of advice for our customers during the holiday season?

SCOTT: One of the best Christmas gifts I ever got was from my little sister:  A 4-color set of PLAY-DOH. I was 26 years old and baffled. Looking at her, I started to ask her why, but stopped. Tears started filling my eyes and we met in the middle of the room, in front of the whole family hugging and crying. Everyone was puzzled that a cheap set of multicolored clay would inspire such a response.

When my little sister was 3 (she is 3 years younger than me) she got into my PLAY-DOH and mixed all the colors together. When I discovered what she did, I got crazy mad at her. We never spoke of it again.

Twenty years later, we stood crying and holding each other.

This year, be creative.  Choose a gift for a loved one that holds a value more than money.

Michelle Joyce’s 12 [Business] Days of Christmas runs from December 5^th through December 20^th. Stay tuned for additional interviews from our speakers and team members!  To learn more about each of our speakers and their programs, visit Michelle Joyce Speakers.