Mitch Allen

This transcript has been edited for clarity, readability, and flow. Minor adjustments have been made to remove filler words and improve structure while preserving the original meaning and intent of the conversation.

Henry Harrison:
Well hello, Mitch. Thanks for coming on the show. It’s good to see you again.

Mitch Allen:
My pleasure. Glad to be here.

Henry Harrison:
We were invited to a great event at your house recently, and that reminded me how we first met—through Entrepreneurs’ Organization. I was president of the Dallas chapter at the time, and you helped launch the Fort Worth chapter and later became president.

You’ve had an incredible entrepreneurial journey—starting, buying, selling, or closing around a dozen businesses, helping people manage debt, writing a book, building a lead generation company, and even appearing on Shark Tank with Hire Santa.

Let’s start at the beginning—how did you first get into business?

Mitch Allen:
Looking back, it’s easy to create a clean narrative, but the reality is I’ve always had what people now call a hustler’s mindset.

As a kid, I was buying and selling baseball cards and comic books. Later, I bought rental houses while I was in graduate school.

It wasn’t about making a lot of money—I probably didn’t—but I learned a lot and enjoyed it.

After graduate school, my best friend and I decided to start a business together. At the time, I had a good job at Citigroup doing statistical analysis, but I left to pursue entrepreneurship.

That first business led to another, then another. There wasn’t a long-term master plan—we just followed opportunities.

Over 25 years, I’ve had more than a dozen businesses, and just as many failures. For every good idea, there were probably ten bad ones.

Henry Harrison:
That’s a common theme among successful entrepreneurs—trying things and learning from them.

Mitch Allen:
Exactly.

And most entrepreneurs aren’t reckless risk-takers. They look for asymmetric opportunities—where the downside is limited but the upside is significant.

Early in life, it’s often easier to take those risks because you don’t yet have the same level of obligations.

Henry Harrison:
Let’s talk about LeadRival.

Mitch Allen:
LeadRival was my first major company.

We focused on lead generation for consumer legal services—working with law firms across the country in areas like:

• Personal injury

• Bankruptcy

• DUI

• Divorce

We started with traditional media—TV, Yellow Pages, direct mail—but quickly shifted to online advertising.

By 2004, nearly all of our business was digital.

Eventually, we grew to about $20 million in annual revenue and exited in 2019.

Henry Harrison:
You also chaired a nonprofit focused on financial education.

Mitch Allen:
Yes, the Debt Education and Certification Foundation.

After bankruptcy laws changed in 2005, there was a requirement for financial education.

We built a nonprofit that educated over two million people, mostly online but also via phone counseling available almost 24/7.

It was a very meaningful experience.

Henry Harrison:
You also do coaching and consulting.

Mitch Allen:
Somewhat selectively.

At some point, you realize you’ve accumulated experience that others can benefit from.

In 2018, I focused on cleaning up my own business structures—formalizing partnerships, simplifying arrangements, and organizing everything.

That process gave me insights that I now share with other entrepreneurs, whether informally or through paid coaching.

Henry Harrison:
Let’s talk about Hire Santa and Shark Tank.

Mitch Allen:
Hire Santa is probably the most fun business I’ve ever had.

It started when I dressed as Santa for a company event. Then I did it for my kids, and eventually someone offered to pay me.

As an entrepreneur, when someone offers to pay you, you pay attention.

I started marketing online, and demand grew quickly. Eventually, I couldn’t handle it all myself, so I built a network of Santas.

In 2018, I appeared on Shark Tank and made a deal with Barbara Corcoran.

It was an incredible experience—and the exposure continues to pay off through reruns and brand recognition.

Henry Harrison:
What was it like being on the show?

Mitch Allen:
Intense, but I prepared heavily.

I studied every episode, categorized questions, and practiced extensively.

When I stepped on stage, I wanted to enjoy it—not just survive it.

The actual filming lasted 47 minutes, but only about eight minutes made it to air.

Henry Harrison:
How does Hire Santa work today?

Mitch Allen:
Customers can go to HireSanta.com and book directly.

The key advice: book early. Many events are scheduled a year in advance.

Operationally, it’s a year-round business:

• Sales

• Scheduling

• Payments

• Systems development

We recently rebuilt our scheduling platform over 14 months with a global development team.

Behind the scenes, it’s a full-scale operation.

Henry Harrison:
And you’re still building new ventures?

Mitch Allen:
Always.

I’ve started a lean digital agency focused on SEO, paid media, and lead generation.

Within Hire Santa, we’ve expanded into related services like:

• Easter Bunny events

• Mariachi bands

We also differentiate by serving both small clients and large organizations like major sports teams and corporations.

Henry Harrison:
To wrap up—what’s one obstacle you’ve faced and one piece of advice you’d give?

Mitch Allen:
One major obstacle: we once got within 37 days of running out of cash.

That’s the reality—you either figure it out or you shut down.

Entrepreneurship is always harder and takes longer than you expect.

As for advice: price with confidence.

Many entrepreneurs haven’t adjusted prices enough despite years of inflation.

If you haven’t raised prices 15–20 percent recently, you probably should.

Better pricing improves:

• Margins

• Business quality

• Valuation

So don’t be afraid to charge what your service is worth.

Henry Harrison:
That’s great advice—and I love the point about things taking longer and being harder than expected.

Mitch, thanks for coming on. I really appreciate it.

Mitch Allen:
My pleasure. Thanks, Henry.