It’s not every day that you get to interview the man himself, the legend, Mr. Santa Claus. My inner eight-year old could barely contain herself. But I do need to be honest, he’s not the real Santa. The real Santa is a busy guy and it is probably impossible to get on his calendar, especially this time of year. So let me introduce you to Mr. Caleb “Santa” Corkins.
Caleb joined AT&T in 2014, as a Sales Representative at our Cherry Creek store in Colorado. Before joining AT&T, he was selling AT&T phones with a distributor so he could get a step in the door. Then one day after transferring to an AT&T store in North Carolina, Caleb’s manager looked at him (dare I say, with a twinkle in their eye?) and said, “I bet you would look like Santa if we bleached your beard…” And that’s where this cherished tradition started.
Caleb isn’t a stranger to impersonating the jolly man. For years, even before the beard, he would volunteer as Santa for events throughout his community. Since then, you could say things have snowballed, earning him a President’s Award from AT&T for his hours of dedication to his craft. The way Caleb sees it, it’s an opportunity to connect with people; not just kids and families, but also with those who protect the community.
“I found being Santa allowed me to have more personal conversations with First Responders, which is where the tradition really came to be. By the second year of selling FirstNet®, I was known as Santa by First Responders throughout the state.”
I bet you’re wondering what it takes to become Santa. Well, first of all, “the beard” plays a major role and Caleb had no problem growing out the real thing – no faux bungee beard for this Santa. For the last 20 years he’s always had some facial hair, but it wasn’t until about 10 years ago that he really started growing it out to play the role. However, according to Caleb, it’s goes far beyond the neatly coifed white hair.
“To get into Character it’s not just wearing the suit or having a white beard. There is a magic to it that makes people smile. I’ve even been called out for being Santa in the middle of summer and the only thing Santa-ish was my round reading glasses. So I have to stay in character at all times!!! I like to read name tags so I can call people out by name and it always catches them off guard,” he laughs (like a bowl full of jelly).
Caleb takes his #LifeAtATT very seriously, even in a red suit. Like the true Santa, his motivation is pure and simple: to make a difference in people’s lives. Whether it was in-store or in the field, helping customers connect and save money on services, or promoting FirstNet to those who help others in life-saving circumstances. The last 12 years have allowed him to do just that, and spread a little cheer along the way.
What started as a joke seven years ago, Caleb has carried on, bringing joy to our customers, First Responders, children, their families, and all throughout his community. While these visits with Santa are brief, Caleb is creating holiday memories to last a lifetime, especially his own.
“I have so many fun memories, including when I attended a local Sheriff’s Department holiday party that ended with a picture of a very large local Sheriff (very large), in all his gear, sitting on my knee.
But the ones that stick out the most are the memories of the kids who look to Santa as a superhero, even in emotional and challenging times. Those are moments I get to give a few minutes of laughter and happiness. Which is the reason I keep doing it year after year.”
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