Jumping Back Into the Holiday Spirit: A 2025 Christmas Recap
This holiday season reminded me why I love what I do.
In 2025, I had the chance to jump fully back into the Christmas spirit by serving as MC and game show host for several incredible companies across the Southeast. What made this year special wasn’t just the events themselves, it was getting to bring custom experiences to employees, families, partners, and associates in ways that felt fresh, interactive, and genuinely fun.
No cookie-cutter programs. No awkward “forced fun.” Just people laughing together.
Ben Mynatt Family of Dealerships
One of the highlights of the season was heading to Great Wolf Lodge to work alongside the Ben Mynatt Family of Dealerships. This event was extra fun because I introduced a brand-new game concept for the first time.
I’m calling it “The 12 Strays of Christmas.”
Here’s how it works:
I bring 12 brave volunteers on stage
They answer Christmas-themed questions round by round
Anyone who answers correctly gets to eliminate themselves and sit down
One person is left standing at the end
That final contestant earns the honorary title of “The Grinch” for the night, not because they’re mean, but because everyone else managed to dodge the Christmas questions before they did. It’s playful, lighthearted, and gets the whole room involved.
The energy was high, the laughs were loud, and the room was fully locked in.
“OMGEEE!!!! You were fantastic! Everyone really enjoyed you so much and we want you to come back next year.” - Pam Kaler
That kind of feedback is why I love experimenting with new ideas and tailoring experiences to the people in the room.
Stokes & Company: Back by Popular Demand
Another highlight was returning to Stokes & Company for their Christmas dinner and entertainment, my second time working with this incredible accounting and CPA firm.
The last time we did this was back in 2021, and apparently they decided they hadn’t had quite enough JDew the first time around.
This year’s event was hosted at the Poinsett Club in Greenville, South Carolina, where associates and partners gathered for a beautiful dinner and a night of connection and competition.
One of the standout moments was a game I call Finance A-to-Z.
Before dismissing tables for dinner, each table selected a team captain. Those captains then challenged captains from other tables in head-to-head matchups. I fired off finance-related questions, all structured A-to-Z, and the first captain to reach three correct answers earned the right for their table to be dismissed.
It turned dinner dismissal into a game, sparked friendly rivalry, and kept everyone engaged instead of staring at their phones.
From there, we rolled right into Holiday Harmonies, which took the fun up another notch and kept the room buzzing.
Integrity Animal Health: A Familiar Favorite
For Integrity Animal Health, we gathered at Saskatoon in Greenville for a fantastic dinner and another night of holiday fun.
This year’s experience included a series of Minute-to-Win-It–style games, plenty of friendly competition, and lots of laughter across the room. We capped the night off the same way we did in 2024, with a packed dance floor and a DJ experience that kept the energy going.
They invited me back again this year, and I’ll take that as a compliment every time.
A Game Show That Traveled Overseas
One of the quieter but honestly coolest moments of this holiday season didn’t happen in the US at all.
My parents are overseas in Germany this Christmas, (serving in the US Air Force) and while I wasn’t physically there, I was still able to help them host a Christmas Kahoot game show from afar. My mom was the only one on-site who could proctor the game, so unfortunately I didn’t get any photos or video back, I was really hoping for one or two pieces of media from overseas just because the idea itself was so fun.
But she told me it went really well.
People were engaged, competitive, and fully in the holiday spirit which is wild to think about when you realize a game show concept I helped create was being played halfway around the world.
She did mention one last thing that made me laugh.
The game ended with a debate about Die Hard… Is it a Christmas movie or not?
Apparently, that discussion is universal.
Grateful, Energized, and Ready for More
This season was a reminder that when companies (and families) invest in shared experiences, not just dinners or speeches, but moments where people actually interact, something special happens.
To everyone I worked with this holiday season: thank you for trusting me with your people.
And if you’re thinking ahead to your next holiday party, game show, or team-building experience, I’d love to help you create something your team actually remembers.
Happy Holidays to all, and yes, we can debate Die Hard at your event too.
