Holiday Shopping With A Disney Exec
by Richelle Ruta for Gyftista
Does anyone really care to talk about the seemingly mundane and dreaded act of buying gifts during this time of year? There are the to-do’s and the lists and the who for and the where and when.
What do people really think about holiday shopping anyway?
Before I knew it, the phone was ringing. It was a call from a number I hadn’t seen before; it was my former boss, Richard Ballering, VP of Productions at ABC Studios / The Walt Disney Company.
I was nervous and excited. One by one I started to shoot off my questions as we casually talked about how our day was going so far. He was at his two gorgeous daughters’ ballet practice and I was at the dining room table overlooking the ocean.
So what are your thoughts about holiday shopping? I asked him.
“It varies differently from year to year. Other times it’s fun and other times, it’s a chore,”
he said. “I never start before Thanksgiving. I wait until after. I shop for a lot of people so I do it a couple of weeks before Christmas; for others, I wait til the night before.”
How do you buy gifts? — Online or brick and mortar store? What’s your preference, or go to place? I eagerly asked. “I do both. I shop online for those who are out of town. For those who are local, I go to stores. It’s convenient online, but it’s nice to see items in person and go to the stores, especially because of the whole store experience.”
How do you decide what to get each person, I continued to ask. “If they have a list — go off their list. I also keep track of what they’ve said before and go from that. Occasionally, I find something perfect for someone even if they haven’t asked for it. This year I’m buying lots of toys (for my daughters). I haven’t decided what to get her (my wife Charlene). I also have my cousins, family, brothers, sister, mother, father, mother-in-law, father-in-law.”
What’s your biggest gripe about holiday shopping? “ Oh, it’s gotta be the crowds, the stores and the stress of making sure you get it on time for those out of town. It’s all about making sure things ship on time.”
What holiday gifts are on your wish list for yourself? “Definitely electronics (new phone), I have an old Iphone; it’s a 4 so it’s pretty outdated. I’d also like an Apple TV, clothes.”
“I get what I get…it’s about giving not getting…” he continued.
So what’s your budget like? “I don’t have an overall budget. My family does gift exchanges…we set a budget and keep it to $75; we keep it simple. Secret Santa…pick names…”
Ok so what’s the best holiday gift you’ve ever gotten? “I don’t know…I’ve enjoyed whatever people have gotten me. They are all very nice. I don’t know. I was trying to figure that out, but I can’t say one thing.”
“Santa has been good to me,” he said.
Whew! See, that wasn’t so bad. After our casual tete a tete, I told him about Gyftista — a place where shoppers go to organize their shopping list and to discover personally-selected amazing gifts from various retailers and brands. He thought it was cool. It was definitely a site to get your list going, where you can shop with a budget.
