So Much More, A Mall of America® Podcast

Ep. 77: The Vision Behind the Mall Revisited

Happy New Year! While our So Much More crew is taking a well-deserved break for the holidays, we’re excited to take you back to where this podcastand Mall of Americabegan. Today we are resharing our second episode that ever aired, and it is an inspiring conversation with John Ghermezian. In this special episode, John dives deep into the rich history and bold vision that brought Mall of America to life.
This rebroadcast of Episode 2: The Vision Behind the Mall originally aired on July 27, 2023. Topics included the motivation behind building the most famous mall in the nation, and how the Ghermezian family vision has been steadfast over the past three decades.
So, as you kick off a year full of possibilities, remember… dreams really can come true. Enjoy this special episode replay and here’s to an incredible year ahead!
Guests: John Ghermezian, Triple Five Corporation
Hosts:  Jill Renslow, Daniel Jasper
Presented by Bloomington Minnesota Travel and Tourism the official destination marketing organization for the city of Bloomington, Minn.

Ep. 76: L.L. Bean Conversation Revisited

Our So Much More crew is taking a well-deserved break for the holidays. But we’re bringing back a fan favorite episode: Episode 28, featuring an inspiring conversation with the President and CEO of L.L. Bean, Stephen Smith, and the Mall of America store manager, Guy Booth.
Winter is just getting started, and let’s face it…Minnesota cold is no joke. So who better to learn from than the experts at L.L. Bean? Whether you are braving the elements or cozying up indoors, this episode is packed with insights, warmth, and a whole lot of winter wisdom.
Enjoy this special episode replay, and from all of us here at So Much More, we wish you a very Merry Christmas and a season filled with joy!
To learn more about L.L. Bean at Mall of America visit https://mallofamerica.com/directory/llbean. 
Guests: Stephen Smith, President and CEO at L.L. Bean; Guy Booth, L.L. Bean Store Manager
Hosts:  Jill Renslow, Daniel Jasper
Presented by Bloomington Minnesota Travel and Tourism the official destination marketing organization for the city of Bloomington, Minn.

SMM Short 13: Getting Ready for Holiday Décor

How long does it take to decorate the largest mall in the nation? Seventeen years ago it took more than five weeks to decorate Mall of America. The team has gotten so good at their job that, even with much more décor today, the holiday decorating crew finished the task in a record five days! Clayton Omberg and Chris Grap share the story of decorating for the holidays. To hear the entire conversation check out So Much More Ep. 75: Deck the Mall.
Presented by Bloomington Minnesota Travel and Tourism the official destination marketing organization for the city of Bloomington, Minn.

SMM Short 12: Holiday Décor By The Numbers

What are the hardest, and most amazing, holiday décor to put up at Mall of America? From giant toys to Enchanted Snowflakes, Clayton Omberg and Chris Grap share their stories on how they and the many helper elves decorate 5.6 million square feet of MOA for the holidays. To hear the entire conversation check out So Much More Ep. 75: Deck the Mall.
Presented by Bloomington Minnesota Travel and Tourism the official destination marketing organization for the city of Bloomington, Minn.

Ep. 75: Deck the Mall

Ep. 75: Deck the Mall  [12/18/2024]Clayton Omberg, Mall of America’s Internal Maintenance Manager, joins this episode to take us on a visual tour of Mall of America’s holiday décor.  Dan, Chris and Clayton share stories of what it takes to decorate the largest Mall in America and how they did it in record time this year.  Spoiler alert, 5 nights to decorate 5.2 million square feet!  They share stories of their favorite décor, nerd out on how many trees, bulbs, giant toys and miles of hanging twinkling lights they install and share some of their favorite  holiday traditions along the way. 
2:55 How long it takes to decorate Mall of America4:40      Atrium décor description—Enchanted snowflakes, Nutcrackers + large Jack in the Box11:00   Decorating Nordstrom Court + hidden Easter Eggs on the giant bulbs13:42   Rotunda décor including 2-44’ tall tree’s with  1,200 branches16:30  10 miles of twinkling lights hang throughout.  What happens when a bulb burns out?18:55  Holiday décor by the numbers23:26  The science and plan of taking the décor down and the massive storage unit24:11  Clayton, Chris and Dan share favorite holiday treats, traditions, meals and movies
To learn more about Holiday Decor at Mall of America visit https://mallofamerica.com/press-release/28114Guests: Clayton Omberg, Internal Maintenance Manager at Mall of AmericaHosts:  Daniel Jasper, Chris GrapPresented by Bloomington Minnesota Travel and Tourism the official destination marketing organization for the city of Bloomington, Minn.

Ep. 74: Elves Unfiltered: Tales from Santa's Helpers.

Trinket and Garland – two of the most important elves from the North Pole – join this episode to shares stories of what it takes to be an elf. They and their fellow elves are a key part of creating holiday magic at The Candy Cane Institute at Mall of America, and for children around the world. Joining them is Mae Keapproth the head elf-wrangler. If you have questions about presents, wrapping, tinsel or the Big Man in Red himself, this episode is for you! Prepare for magic.
3:15 What it takes to wrangle the elves at Mall of America4:20 What is The Candy Cane Institute (CCI) and where do you find it?5:30 A fun description of the science found at CCI8:00 When guests meet with The Jolly Old Elf himself13:00 An explanation of the Wrap-O-Matic machine16:15 Heartwarming stories straight from the elves19:30 A tale of one particularly challenging guest25:40 Two elves and our elf wrangler give life-advice to Santa27:30 A wish for the children of the world
To learn more about The Candy Cane Institute at Mall of America visit https://mallofamerica.com/directory/candy-cane-institute 
Guests: Trinket (the elf); Garland (the elf); Mae Keapproth, Entertainment Manager at Mall of AmericaHosts:  Daniel Jasper
Presented by Bloomington Minnesota Travel and Tourism the official destination marketing organization for the city of Bloomington, Minn.

Ep. 73: One Santa. Two Santa. Red Santa. Blue Santa.

This episode of So Much More is a special holiday treat. But fair warning to parentsif you’ve got little ones tuning in you might want to hit pause. We visit The Santa Experience right here at Mall of America and lift the curtain on magical secrets about the man in red. From magical wishes to meaningful moments, you will want to sit back and enjoy this conversation with Santa Sam, Santa Herman, and Santa Larry.
1:00 Getting to know Santa Sam4:10 The importance of matching energy7:15         Why we should strive to lead with love8:25 A message from Santa Sam9:10 An introduction to Santa Herman11:00 As Santa Herman says in Spanish, “Feliz Navidad a todos y cada uno.”12:40 How to respond when a child asks for a live reindeer17:15 The one, the only, Santa Larry20:45 Surprising his nephews for Christmas23:30 The magic of meeting with children25:00 Santa’s wish for the children of the world
To learn more about The Santa Experience at Mall of America visit:Website:  www.TheSantaExperienceMN.comInstagram:  @TheSantaExperienceMN   Facebook:  The Santa Experience MN
Guests: Santa Sam, Santa Herman, Santa LarryHosts:  Daniel Jasper
Presented by Bloomington Minnesota Travel and Tourism the official destination marketing organization for the city of Bloomington, Minn.

Ep. 72: Perfect Holiday Gift Ideas

What’s one of the biggest stress points every holiday season? Finding the perfect gift. Well, this episode is for you. Lizzy Newsome, owner of Kappa Toys, and Hayley Matthews-Jones, owner of Minneapolis Craft Market discuss what they offer to holiday shoppers. Kappa Toys is a permanent tenant located on Level 2 South and features unique toys and plenty of play space. Minneapolis Craft Market is a seasonal pop-up at the Mall, located on Level 1, South featuring 40 artisans and opens on Black Friday and continues weekends through the holiday season. This fun conversation covers gift ideas from Nice Ice Baby to Monchhichi and from makers of 3-D printed gifts to hand-made jewelry to custom millinery.1:30 How Minneapolis Craft Market came to the Twin Cities3:55 All about Kappa Toys, a place for toys that everyone loves6:00 Best toy ideas for kids of all ages8:45 All about ‘blind boxes’ and finding the perfect ‘one’9:50 Hot gift items from Minneapolis Craft Market12:45 Walking into Minneapolis Craft Market is made to come to life16:30 Toys selected from around the world – unique and experiential19:00 The importance of celebrating small business22:15 Tips for prospective entrepreneurs
To learn more about Kappa Toys, visit https://kappatoys.com/. To learn more about Minneapolis Craft Market, visit https://www.mplscraftmarket.com/. Guests: Lizzy Newsome, owner Kappa Toys; and Hayley Matthews-Jones, owner of Minneapolis Craft MarketHosts:  Jill Renslow; Dan JasperPresented by Bloomington Minnesota Travel and Tourism the official destination marketing organization for the city of Bloomington, Minn.

Ep. 71: Holiday Happenings at Mall of America

It’s the most wonderful time of the year at Mall of America as we prepare for Black Friday and the holiday season.  Hosts, Dan, Jill and Chris share how we get ready!  From decorating and creating a magical atmosphere to shopping tips, prepping to welcome thousands on Black Friday, planning events and best ways to refuel, park and share memories with your friends and family, this fun conversation will have you excited to experience the wonder of the holiday season with us.1:09   Hosts share their favorite thing about the MOA holiday experience2:37  Chris details plans for Santa’s arrival + Black Friday7:40   What guests can expect Black Friday weekend:  KFAN live broadcasting, Bells To Go performances11:40:  Tips and strategies to conquer the shortened shopping season this year14:00   Favorite ‘experiences’ at MOA:  Great Big Game Show, Cocoa Melon, Activate16:40   How to earn rewards by shopping at MOA with the Insiders app20:47   Parking and navigation tips at MOA25:40   Favorite new stores, brands and categories to shop29:44   Rapid Fire holiday questions with the hosts including favorite holiday stocking stuffers + favorite holiday drinksHosts:  Daniel Jasper, Jill Renslow, Chris GrapPresented by Bloomington Minnesota Travel and Tourism the official destination marketing organization for the city of Bloomington, Minn.

Ep. 70: Arik Hanson Social Media Expert part 2

Arik Hanson is a social media expert who helps mid-sized and large companies feel supremely confident about the way they show up in social. With more than 25 years of experience in social media and digital marketing, Arik has helped more than eighty companies achieve results. He is an early adopter in the field of social media, founded a social media blog in 2008 and is co-host of a podcast with more than 175 episodes, one of the longest running social media podcasts in Minnesota. He also is committed to inspiring and teaching the next generation of leaders.
2:00   Video presence on social media is increasing.  How to maximize that tool.2:20  The pro’s and con’s of executives hiring someone to run and post content on their social media channels versus doing it themselves3:20  How  A.I. is shaping our social media content and best practices for using it7:15  There is a mental health crisis in our country especially as it relates to youth and social media.  How do we handle this?10:00  Lessons Arik has learned being a professor and what students have taught him14:27  How to protect your brand when it’s brought into conversations on social media18:50  Arik’s picks for social media channels that are gaining ground right now such as Reddit and SubStack
Check out Arik Hanson Social Media at: https://arikhanson.com/. Check out the Hanson & Hunt Podcast at: https://arikhanson.com/podcast/. 
Guest:  Arik Hanson, Owner of Arik Hanson Social Media, adjunct professorHosts: Daniel Jasper, Jill Renslow
Presented by Bloomington Minnesota Travel and Tourism the official destination marketing organization for the city of Bloomington, Minn.