What it's really like to be a professional Santa Claus

Sure, anyone can don a Santa hat, beard, and suit and invite parents to plop kids on their lap.

But to play a convincing Santa Claus that kids will forever cherish, and to make a living at it, you must become Santa Claus - and that process takes a lot of work.

For Jim Manning, a full-time children's entertainer who has played Santa Jim in the Boston area for 13 years, learning how to become the perfect Father Christmas meant attending a couple of Santa Claus schools, picking up tricks of the trade from other Santas, and learning the nuances of the job through trial and error.

When he's not making appearances at holiday parties dressed as the man in red or the guest of honor at the City of Boston Tree Lighting celebration, he keeps his skills sharp 11 months of the year as "Jungle Jim" of Jungle Jim's of Boston.

This professional Santa understands the value of a top-notch beard - no straggly, wispy nonsense or anything that could easily get pulled off - and knows that keeping kids happy requires getting on their level.

And perhaps most importantly, to truly transform yourself into the magical elf, Manning tells Business Insider that you have to really love kids - and believe that it's your job to be a beacon of hope and joy to them no matter what.

Below, Manning shares his personal journey of being a professional Santa Claus: