Jeff Weiss, HBA ’86, MBA ’91, is known as the “Crusader” (A.K.A. President) of Harbinger, where he helps brands connect with women. But on the third Sunday in November, he’s known as something else – a celebrity clown.
I’ve been a celebrity clown for the Toronto Santa Claus Parade for the past 10 years. A friend of mine was involved in the parade years ago, and I asked her if I could become a clown – the rest is history.
I like big crowds, and there aren’t many crowds bigger than the Santa Claus Parade. We get about 800,000 people on the streets of Toronto to watch. It just gives you exposure to the whole city and its incredible diversity.
On the day of the parade, around 8 a.m., we all go down to the Hilton Hotel. There’s a big breakfast and you put on your clown costume and wig. We then go to a room full of professional makeup artists who volunteer to paint our faces – it’s all part of the process and the fun of doing it.
After breakfast, we perform a clown warm-up, and just get goofy together. We do a group photo and then we all load into school buses and head to where the parade begins. That’s when the real fun starts.
We are the first ones to march – officially kicking off the parade. I always think, “Oh, it’s never going to be as fun as it was the past year,” but each year being a clown is better than the last.
It’s about giving yourself permission to have fun. In this life, we’re very quick to judge people and we’re worried about being judged. When you’re a clown, it really takes away your inhibitions about doing things that you normally would be afraid to do. When you allow yourself to just have fun and live in the moment, it’s an adrenaline rush.
In addition to being a clown every year, I’m also on the board of the Santa Claus Parade. We’re in our 112th year and it’s not publicly funded, so without the board, it wouldn’t run.
The parade is like the big kick off to the holiday season and for a lot of people, it’s one of the highlights of their year. It’s really important to keep that tradition going, both for people who have lifelong memories of the parade and for people who are new to the city. Some of them have never witnessed anything like this before, and to see their faces when you walk by, it’s incredible.
Photo: David Crowder
Art Direction: Greg Salmela, Aegis
