- Chanda Bell wrote "The Elf on the Shelf" with her mother, based on their family tradition.
- Now, she runs the company that owns the story with her identical twin, Christa Pitts.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Chanda Bell and her twin sister Christa Pitts, co-CEOs of The Lumistella Company. It has been edited for length and clarity.
Growing up, my family didn't have a lot of money for Christmas, but we had tons of Christmas spirit. Each year, a magical elf would appear in our house. My identical twin Christa and I named our elf Fisbee. Our mom explained that Fisbee flew home to the North Pole every night, and that's why he was in a new spot each morning. The elf was the best part of Christmas for me and Christa.
Christa and I were always starting businesses when we were younger. After finding a snake in the road we decided we'd become snake hunters. We were only 6, so our parents were surprised when a customer called up the house. When we were in ninth grade we hosted a cheer clinic at our home, and our parents were equally stunned to see dozens of elementary-aged kids dropped off. We were entrepreneurial from a young age, and as twins we were always into business together.
As adults we went into very different careers. I became a teacher and Christa was a host on QVC, the shopping network. But when I decided to write the story of Fisbee, I knew there was no one else that I'd want to be in business with. Now we're co-CEOs of a bigger venture than we ever imagined.
Our shared childhood helped define the company
We always joked about writing Fisbee's story. I carried on the tradition with my own kids, who loved it just as much as we had. But I didn't have the real drive to write the story down until my mom was going through a bout of depression. I wanted to do something that would bring her joy.
The writing was fun, but the rejection that followed was heartbreaking. Publishers, agents, and prospective business partners were looking at Elf on the Shelf with their adult, analytical brains. They said kids would never believe in it. But Christa and I knew firsthand the childhood magic that the elf would inspire. Only my twin could understand the story — and the business it morphed into — on that level.
We're able to be brutally honest with each other
From working on QVC, Christa had the marketing know-how to really bring the elf to life. She likes to say we have two different ways of arriving at the same answer. I'm creative and a big-picture thinker. Christa is driven by data and analytics. Usually, though, we're in agreement at the end, even if it takes a while to get there.
When we can't agree, we default to whoever has the stronger opinion. We respect each other so much, and we can trust that if someone has a very strong feeling about part of the business, there's a reason for that.
As a twin, you don't know a day on this earth without your sister. You have to learn to work problems out, or you just won't survive. Sometimes that comes in handy. In a normal professional meeting you can't say, "that's the worst idea you've ever had," then move right on without offense. But you can do that when your sister is your co-CEO. The ability to have that total candor is a real advantage to us in the business space.
We tell each other whether we're acting as sisters or business partners
We're business partners, but we're also sisters and best friends. So, when we talk to each other we like to let the other know what hat we're wearing. Christa will say, "I just need to talk to my sister right now," or "I'm calling as a business partner." That way, I know how to support her.
We're both natural leaders and we like to fix things. So we also speak up when we just want to vent. Sometimes you just need your sister to listen and commiserate, not try to solve the problem.
Family business is really difficult. But there's something special about being a twin. We know we're fully committed to the same values, beliefs, and vision, so we can bring the company forward together.